Commercial Video Post-Production UK: Versions & Delivery

Commercial video post-production turns approved footage into a controlled set of finished files for broadcast, web, social and internal use. The reliable approach is to agree the master, versions, captions, technical specifications and approval process before editing begins, so one production can serve several channels without avoidable rework.

1. Start with a delivery brief, not just an edit brief

A delivery brief should define every required output before the first cut is assembled. “One commercial” might mean a 30-second landscape master, a 15-second cutdown, a vertical social edit, a square version, caption files, audio stems and stills for campaign artwork.

Ask the commissioning team to confirm:

• Which platforms, broadcasters, websites, venues or territories will receive the files?
• What duration, aspect ratio, resolution, frame rate and file format does each destination require?
• Will the campaign need subtitles, open captions, audio description, translated text or localised versions?
• Which logos, product claims, legal lines and calls to action must appear in each version?
• Who can approve picture, sound, graphics and compliance, and who has final sign-off?
• What are the media deadlines, trafficking deadlines and internal review dates?

This planning prevents a common failure: approving a master that cannot be adapted cleanly. For example, a wide composition with small on-screen text may look effective in 16:9 but become unreadable when cropped to 9:16. Framing, safe areas and graphic scale should therefore be considered during the edit, not treated as an export problem at the end.

For a wider commissioning checklist, see the questions that help prevent expensive commercial video reshoots.

2. Build one approved master before creating versions

The approved master should be the source for every platform version, rather than each version being edited independently. This gives the team a stable editorial reference and makes later amendments easier to track.

A practical post-production sequence is:

1. Ingest and organise: back up camera media, sync sound, label footage and confirm the project frame rate.
2. Assembly edit: shape the narrative, select performances and establish the strongest structure.
3. Fine cut: refine pacing, transitions, product visibility and the relationship between picture, dialogue and music.
4. Picture lock: approve the edit before final graphics, grade, mix and large-scale versioning work.
5. Finishing: complete colour correction, sound mix, motion graphics, supers, legal copy and clean master exports.
6. Versioning: create cutdowns and aspect-ratio variants from the approved master and source media.

Do not treat picture lock as a formality. A late change to the main edit can affect captions, music timing, graphics, compliance checks and every derivative file. Industry workflow guidance commonly separates the approved master from platform versions and recommends retaining a clear record of each release.

The master itself should be retained at the agreed project resolution, with a high-quality mezzanine file for future versions and practical viewing copies for review. The exact codec and wrapper should be set by the delivery specification, not by habit.

3. Manage commercial video versioning systematically

Video versioning is most dependable when every derivative has a defined purpose, editorial owner and technical specification. Start with the master, then create only the variants the campaign genuinely needs.

Typical deliverables may include:

• 16:9 master for websites, presentations or broadcast-led campaigns.
• 9:16 version for mobile-first social placements.
• 1:1 or 4:5 version where the media plan requires a square or portrait feed format.
• Short cutdowns such as six, ten or 15 seconds, with their own opening and closing logic.
• Captioned versions and separate caption files, depending on the platform.
• Clean versions without supers, music or dialogue where localisation or media requirements call for them.
• Audio stems, including dialogue, music and effects, for later adaptation.
• Artwork stills or frame grabs for thumbnails, posters and supporting campaign assets.

Each version needs editorial judgement. A vertical cut is not simply a landscape file rotated or centrally cropped. The editor may need to reframe a speaker, reposition a product, enlarge a legal line, shorten a sentence or change the opening so the message works without the surrounding campaign context.

Use a version log with a unique filename, duration, aspect ratio, caption status, audio status, destination, approval date and revision number. A naming pattern such as Campaign_Master_30s_16x9_v03_APPROVED is more useful than filenames containing “final”, “final2” and “final-new”.

4. Treat captions as part of the edit

Captions should be planned, timed and checked against the finished picture, rather than added as a last-minute transcription. They improve access and can support viewers who watch with sound reduced or disabled, but they still need editorial and technical review.

First establish whether the destination needs open captions burned into the image or a separate sidecar file. Confirm the required format, such as SRT or another platform-specific standard, and agree conventions for speaker identification, punctuation, numbers, sound descriptions and line length.

Then check the captions in context. A transcript can be accurate yet unusable if it appears too early, disappears too quickly, covers product information or conflicts with supers. Review the captioned export on a phone as well as a larger monitor, because line breaks and safe-area decisions can look different at smaller sizes.

Captions are not a substitute for an accessibility review. Depending on the brief, you may also need audio description, a transcript, high-contrast text, readable type sizes or a version with graphics adapted for access needs.

5. Separate creative approval from technical quality control

Creative approval confirms that the commercial communicates the intended message, while technical quality control confirms that the approved file is fit for its destination. Both checks are necessary and should be recorded separately.

A creative review should cover:

• Story, claims, tone and brand consistency.
• Product visibility and the accuracy of demonstrations.
• Dialogue, music, supers, calls to action and legal wording.
• Performance, pacing and the suitability of every cutdown.
• Caption accuracy and placement.

A technical review should cover:

• Resolution, aspect ratio, frame rate, duration and file naming.
• Picture artefacts, missing frames, incorrect crops and graphic safe areas.
• Audio sync, dropouts, balance, peaks and the required loudness standard.
• Caption timing, character errors and sidecar-file integrity.
• Black frames, unintended edits, spelling errors and export corruption.

Post-production quality-control guidance commonly includes test exports and approval screenings, with checks for legal levels, loudness, dropouts and visual artefacts. For UK broadcast delivery, the brief may also require specific compliance or delivery processes, including PSE review, clock numbers, Clearcast substantiation or a broadcaster-approved delivery route. Those requirements should be confirmed with the media owner or broadcaster; they should not be assumed for every online campaign.

6. Plan approvals and delivery around real deadlines

A dependable schedule allows time for review, amends, exports, quality control and platform handover rather than treating delivery as the instant an edit is approved. A published UK production timeline reference places post-production and revisions within a broader six-to-12-week project window for standard corporate work, although the right schedule depends on footage volume, complexity, versions and approvals.

For a typical commercial, set these milestones:

1. Brief and specification sign-off: confirm outputs, destinations and technical requirements.
2. First cut review: gather consolidated comments from named stakeholders.
3. Amendment round: apply editorial changes and return a clearly labelled version.
4. Picture lock: approve the master before finishing and versioning.
5. Final approval: sign off picture, sound, graphics, captions and compliance.
6. Export and QC: check each file independently against its delivery specification.
7. Handover: provide files, caption assets, metadata, version log and any required masters or stems.

One concrete example shows why this matters. Suppose a UK retailer commissions a 30-second product film for a website hero slot, paid social and an in-store screen. The master may remain 16:9, while social needs 9:16 and 1:1 cuts. The in-store file may require a different resolution and silent playback. If those requirements are known before the edit, the product can be framed with flexible space, the dialogue can be supported by captions and the final files can be tested against each destination. If they appear after approval, the team may need to rebuild graphics, reframe shots and repeat sign-off.

Choose a post-production partner that owns the handover

The right partner should make versioning, review and delivery visible rather than presenting a single export with no audit trail. Ask how they manage source backups, review rounds, naming conventions, caption checks, technical QC, approvals and future amendments.

WeTrends is completing its move from Guildford to London, so this guide does not imply a verified London office or studio address. If your commercial needs a connected approach to brand systems and production outputs, you can review WeTrends’ brand identity service and discuss how the finished video should work alongside the wider campaign.

Before commissioning, request a deliverables schedule and a sample version log. That small step can expose missing specifications early, protect the approval timeline and leave your team with files that remain usable after the campaign launch.

Frequently asked questions

What should a commercial video delivery brief include?

It should list every destination and output, including duration, aspect ratio, resolution, frame rate, file format, captions, audio requirements, legal copy, approval owners and deadlines.

Why create versions from one approved master?

Using one approved master creates a stable editorial reference, simplifies amendments and helps maintain consistency across cutdowns, aspect-ratio variants, captioned files and other deliverables.

How are commercial video files checked before delivery?

Creative review checks story, claims, branding, product visibility, pacing, captions and legal wording. Technical quality control checks specifications, crops, sync, audio, captions, artefacts, naming and export integrity.