Getting client notes with review export in Video by Zaweba

Notes from a client tend to arrive as an email that says the bit near the middle feels slow. Turning that into an edit wastes time. Video by Zaweba has a review loop that makes notes precise: you export a review copy, the reviewer writes notes against exact frames, and the notes come back onto your timeline as markers.

It all works offline, with no shared account or upload service in the middle.

Making the review copy

Choose File > Export for review. The app makes a small H.264 copy of the edit with timecode burned into the picture, and an offline review page to go with it. Small means it is easy to send by whatever route you normally use for files. Burned-in timecode means everyone is looking at the same numbers.

Send both together. The reviewer opens the page, watches the video in it, and writes notes tied to frames rather than to vague descriptions.

Bringing the notes back

When the reviewer has finished, they send the notes back to you. Use Import review notes and each note lands on your timeline as a red marker at the frame it refers to. Instead of hunting through the cut for the bit near the middle, you jump from marker to marker and deal with each one where it sits.

The red colour helps them stand out from your own markers, so you can see at a glance which points are from the client and which are your reminders.

Helping reviewers give good notes

A short message with the review copy goes a long way. Ask the reviewer to watch once all the way through before writing anything, then to note on a second pass. Ask for one point per note rather than a paragraph that covers several moments. And tell them what stage the edit is at: if colour and sound are still rough, say so, or half the notes will be about things you already plan to fix.

If several people are reviewing, send each of them the copy and gather their notes. It is easier to see where people agree when the comments sit on the same timeline.

Working through the markers

Take the red markers in order. Fix what is clear, and keep a short list of anything you disagree with so you can explain your choice in the reply. Once a note is dealt with, clear or change its marker so you can see what remains.

When you are done, export a fresh review copy and repeat. Two or three rounds is normal for client work, and frame-accurate notes keep each round short.

Small things that save trouble

Do not send the review copy as the final file. It is deliberately small and has timecode across the picture. Keep a clear version number in the file name so nobody comments on an old cut. And if you also use content credentials or metadata on the final export, add them to the master, not the review copy.

The review loop sits with the other export and delivery tools in Video by Zaweba. It is a modest feature, but it changes the tone of client work: fewer vague emails, fewer misunderstandings and an edit that converges quickly.