Clipping brief template: copy, fill in, publish

The template to copy ​

Copy it into the contest description, replace the bracketed notes with your details and delete what you do not need, except the three numbers: the platform asks for them separately anyway.

GOAL: (one line: what the viewer should do after the clip)
MATERIALS: (folder link with footage, logo, examples; or "clips come from the platform")
FORMAT AND LENGTH: (vertical 9:16, N to N seconds, subtitles yes/no, language)
PLATFORMS: (TikTok / Reels / Shorts; which are accepted)
HASHTAG: (needed or not; if so, the exact tag and where it goes)
MUST BE IN THE CLIP: (what a clip is not accepted without)
NOT ALLOWED: (the list a clip is rejected for)
RATE / THRESHOLD / CAP: ($N per 1,000 views / N views / $N per clip)
DEADLINE: (date, time and time zone submissions close)
HOW WORK IS ACCEPTED: (published link, moderator check, what gets rejected)

Field by field: what to write and why ​

Goal. One line about the viewer's action: install the app, follow the link in the bio, remember the name. Without one, a clipper shoots whatever is easiest.

Materials. A folder link that opens without an access request: footage, logo, two or three clips you like. If the platform provides ready-made uniqueized clips, say so: no editing means faster pickup.

Format and length. Vertical 9:16, a range of seconds, subtitles, language. "20 to 45 seconds" leaves room to edit; "exactly 30" forces the creator to cut meaning.

Platforms. Where the clip must go out. Views come from the public counter of the site the clip was published on, so the platform is a term, not a wish.

Hashtag. The platform does not collect clips by hashtag; a submission enters only through the creator's link. Ask for a tag only if you want the clips findable in search.

Must be in the clip. What the moderator and you check against: the product screen for at least N seconds, the name spoken or on screen, the link in the description.

Not allowed. The list a clip is rejected for: other people's clips, promises of income, shock content, music without rights, naming competitors. A ban missing from the brief cannot be applied afterwards.

Rate, threshold, cap. The three numbers on the card: open tasks pay $1 to $2 per 1,000 views, the threshold defaults to 1,000 and is typically 2,000, the cap per clip is usually $100. What each number buys: clipping campaign cost. Your rate from the creator's side: earnings calculator; what they compare you with: platform comparison.

Deadline. Date, time and time zone: "by the end of the week" means something else to a clipper elsewhere.

How work is accepted. The creator publishes and sends the link, the moderator checks it against the terms, you reject non-matching work in the selection window, the platform counts the views; a rejected clip is not paid.

A filled-in example ​

A hypothetical brief for a habit-tracking app, call it DayByDay.

GOAL: the viewer sees that the app counts habit streaks and installs it via the link in the bio.
MATERIALS: folder with five screen recordings, logo, three reference clips; editing is on the creator.
FORMAT AND LENGTH: vertical 9:16, 20 to 45 seconds, subtitles required, language English.
PLATFORMS: TikTok, Reels, Shorts only.
HASHTAG: #daybyday in the description, first.
MUST BE IN THE CLIP: the app screen for at least 5 seconds, the name spoken or on screen, a 7-day streak.
NOT ALLOWED: other people's clips and stock recordings, promises like "changes your life in a week", medical claims, naming other apps.
RATE / THRESHOLD / CAP: $1 per 1,000 views / 2,000 views / $100 per clip.
DEADLINE: 30 September, 23:59 UTC; clips published before the launch are not accepted.
HOW WORK IS ACCEPTED: published link through the task form; the moderator checks both lists; a clip without the app screen is rejected and not paid.

Five phrasings that bring the wrong clips ​

1. "Make a viral clip about our product." A wish, not a goal: the creator shoots what goes viral in their niche and the product ends up as background.
2. A brief with no bans. You get other people's clips under your hashtag, clickbait promises and music the site will mute, and nothing to reject them for.
3. No example. "In our style" means nothing to someone who has never seen the brand. Two links you like and one you do not beat a paragraph of adjectives.
4. "Like our competitor." The creator repeats the other campaign, including what did not work, and you pay for a copy instead of unique clips.
5. "As soon as possible." Without a date the clipper has no reason to put your task first, and you have no grounds to reject a late clip.

Checking the brief before you publish ​

1. The goal fits in one line and describes the viewer's action.
2. The materials link opens in a private window.
3. Format, length and platforms are numbers and names, with no "etc.".
4. Every point on both lists is specific enough to reject a particular clip.
5. Rate, threshold and cap are numbers checked against the budget; the first two cannot change after the start.
6. It is clear how the creator sends the work and what happens to a rejected clip.

Then it goes into the form: how to set up a contest shows where each field goes; how to pay clippers covers the money side, how to commission clips the contest-versus-hiring comparison, and the business page the formats for business.

Frequently asked questions ​

Is a hashtag required in the brief? ​

No. A submission enters the task through the creator's link; the platform does not collect clips by hashtag. Ask for one only if you want the clips findable in search, and write it exactly.

How much source material should clippers get? ​

Enough for a choice, not a search: five to ten fragments of one or two minutes, the logo, two or three references. With no footage, say so and describe what must be in the frame.

Does one template work for TikTok, Reels and Shorts? ​

Yes: all three take a vertical clip, and views on each are read from its public counter. The differences are mostly length, so set a range under "Format" that fits each.

What if a clip matches the brief on paper but is not what I wanted? ​

If the brief has a point you can cite, the work is rejected in the selection window and not paid. If not, the clip is accepted on your terms and paid by the formula: add the ban to the next brief rather than arguing.