UGC Retakes vs Edit Revisions: Agree Who Changes What

Describe the change before arguing about a revision round

Write the exact asset version, timestamp, present problem and desired result. “Make it more premium” does not tell an editor whether to replace a caption, change the grade or request another performance. An actionable note points to the element that must change.

Then ask whether the approved material already contains what is needed. An existing alternate take may solve the problem in an edit. A new spoken line, missing product angle or different location may require filming. The word “revision” on an invoice does not settle that production question.

The UGC contract checklist covers the broader agreement. This page addresses how to classify an actual change after a file arrives.

Why use the accepted brief as the reference?

Compare the delivered file with the brief and script version the creator accepted. Identify the specific requirement that was missed, or state that the buyer now wants something different. Preserve both records so the discussion does not depend on memory.

A creator may have delivered the agreed product demonstration correctly even though the brand now prefers another opening. That can be a worthwhile change, but it should be described honestly as a new preference rather than a failure to follow an instruction that was never supplied.

Billo’s published process separates creator reshoot requests from post-production edit requests and ties its review to its own brief rules. That is one supplier’s process. It does not establish a free retake entitlement, fixed revision allowance or delivery deadline for other agreements.

Is the change a retake or a revision?

First identify the work: editing existing material or making new material. Then identify the reason: correction against the accepted brief or a change to that brief. Those are independent questions. A small-looking change can still require new filming.

The table identifies questions, not automatic fees or legal remedies. The actual agreement and available footage decide the next step.

Send one coordinated review, with a named owner

Have the brand collect its reviewers’ notes before sending the change list. Separate required corrections from optional preferences and flag conflicting instructions. A creator should not have to choose between two departments’ incompatible product claims.

Keep the accepted production brief, current export and change list linked by version. If the buyer changes a request after work starts, retain that decision rather than overwrite the original note and make the next delay impossible to explain.

Agree who can accept the revised file. A response from a new stakeholder should not silently reopen every earlier decision. Where the production needs qualified product or compliance review, obtain it before asking the creator to repeat a line.

Do not repair an inaccurate spoken claim only in captions

If the performance makes a stronger claim than the approved wording, replacing the subtitle alone leaves contradictory audio. Stop that version and decide whether an accepted alternate, new recording or removal is appropriate. Listen to the export after the repair.

Likewise, a cropped product screen can hide the part needed to understand a demonstration. Review what the viewer can actually see rather than marking a requested aspect ratio complete because the file dimensions changed.

Keep product truth and the creative preference separate. An attractive edit is not evidence that the feature exists or that an unsupported result became substantiated.

A fictional launch change needs a new decision

Imagine a brand accepts a video with a dated launch message. It later moves the launch and asks for a different spoken date. The current performance followed the supplied brief, but the asset no longer fits the new plan.

The buyer checks whether an appropriate alternate was already recorded. If not, it asks the creator for the work, availability and terms needed to produce a replacement. It does not label the original performance defective simply because the plan changed. No universal charge or turnaround follows from this invented example.

Bring the accepted brief and proposed change list to a UGC creator management discussion. Resolve the work before commissioning another batch, and carry the accepted version into the final delivery record.