The edit request form is doing more work than most people realize, and the people who get videos back close to what they imagined aren't the ones with editing experience. They're the ones who filled the form out specifically. Here's how to give clear direction without needing to know what a J-cut is.
Pro tip: Specificity in the brief equals fewer revisions. Every sentence you write up front is one revision round you don't have to do later.
Pick the brand book before anything else
The brand book selection drives everything visual: logos, colors, fonts, lower thirds, intros and outros. Pick the right one for the audience this video is going to. If you're producing for a sub-brand or division, make sure that brand book exists and is selected here. Editors apply the brand book selected on the form, not the one you meant to pick.
Write the outcome in one sentence in Craft Your Clip
The Craft Your Clip field is where the brief lives. Write one sentence that says what the finished clip should do, who it's for, and where it's going. "A 60-second LinkedIn-friendly clip aimed at procurement leaders explaining why our consolidation approach reduces vendor count." That sentence tells the editor more than two paragraphs of adjectives. If you can't compress the outcome into one sentence, you haven't decided what the clip is yet.
Link to a reference video in the Examples field
The Examples field is where you drop a link to a video that captures the pace, tone, or cut style you're after. One good link replaces three paragraphs of "I want it to feel kinda like..." Editors can pull project files and assets directly from the linked references when relevant. Pick a real reference, not a vague vibe.
Run the vibe check and attach one-off logos or files
If the video needs a logo or asset that's not in the brand book (a one-off event logo, a partner co-brand mark, a specific lower-third graphic), attach it here. Then do a quick read-through of what you've written and ask "if I were the editor reading this for the first time, would I know what to make?" That's the vibe check. Anything that wouldn't be clear gets clarified now, not in revision.
Use timestamped proofing room comments for exact start and end points
The single most underused feature on the form is the timestamped comment in the proofing room. Instead of writing "use the part where she talks about pricing," scrub to that exact moment and drop a comment saying "use 2:14-2:38." Editors love this because they don't have to guess, and you get back exactly the section you meant. One specific timestamp beats five vague descriptions.
Try it this week
On your next edit request in MarketScale, write the outcome in one sentence, link to one reference, and drop at least one timestamped comment with exact start and end points. The first cut will land closer to what you imagined than any previous request you've sent.