Editing and Placements
Part of Organising a usable UGC asset library
Tracking approved edits and original footage
Link UGC originals, working edits and approved exports to the exact decision and conditions for each file.
Record approval against an exact file version, and keep its path back to the source footage. “Video approved” is ambiguous when a long cut, a captioned cut and a later crop carry different wording.
Build a file family
Give the commission a stable asset ID, then assign a separate file ID to each supplied original recording, working edit and finished export. Record which file or edit each version came from. Preserve supplied originals and their received filenames; add a display name separately if needed.
| File ID | Role | Derived from | Editorial status | Decision record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UGC-42-R01 | Original recording | — | Retained source | Receipt record |
| UGC-42-E02 | Working edit | UGC-42-R01 | Changes requested | Reviewer note and date |
| UGC-42-X03 | Finished export | UGC-42-E02 | Approved with conditions | Approver, date and conditions |
The IDs illustrate a register, not actual assets. Store file locations, the filmed variant and the permission reference alongside each ID. A recorded checksum can help compare a transferred file with the version originally recorded, provided the checksum was generated for that file and retained.
Metadata Essentials for Recordkeeping
- Asset ID Format
- UGC-XX-YYYY
- Checksum Use Case
- Verify file integrity during transfer or storage
- Permission Reference Required
- Mandatory for legal use of IP in exports
Record exactly what was approved
An editorial decision should name the file ID, reviewer, date and any condition on the words, captions, images or placement under review. Keep the feedback with the export. “Use the final one” should never depend on someone remembering the filename they meant.
Useful statuses include awaiting review, changes requested, approved, superseded and held. Superseded means another file replaced a version in the working process; it does not approve the replacement or erase the earlier decision. A changed crop, voiceover, caption or soundtrack can change the product impression, so review the new export.
The ACCC can investigate and may take compliance or enforcement action if a business makes false or misleading claims in social media advertising. It can also require businesses to back up claims they make on social media.
Editorial approval and permission to use are separate. Compare the intended user, channel, edit and date with the actual agreement. Original footage may carry different delivery or editing terms from a finished cut; possessing a source file does not settle those rights.
Reconstruct and update the decision
The register should lead from an approved export to its source, reviewer comments and conditions. If a later edit appears to omit a material qualification, compare it with the available source footage and the previously approved export. Keep the old file under its own ID rather than overwriting it.
For each new export, note what changed, carry forward relevant review conditions and request a decision on that exact file. The result is a traceable hand-off: an editor can find the supplied footage, and a publisher can identify the version approved for consideration without guessing.
