Revision Round Cap and Scope Ledger (Retention)

Revision Round Cap and Scope Ledger (Retention)

1. 01

   Set the revision ceiling in the statement of work before the first cut is delivered

   Two rounds on short-form social edits and three on explainer videos is a defensible default. Write the number into the contract, not the kickoff email, so the cap survives staff turnover on the client side.

2. 02

   Log every change request against a named round in a shared ledger

   Capture date, requester, the exact timestamp range in the video, and whether the note is a fix (tool error) or a preference (new direction). Preferences consume rounds; fixes do not.

3. 03

   Separate assembly corrections from creative redirection at intake

   A misspelled lower third is a fix. Replacing the entire voiceover track because the client's CEO changed tone is a new brief. Price the second category as a change order, not a revision.

4. 04

   Route round-three requests through a paid change order with a stated turnaround

   Quote the additional round at your standard hourly or a flat add-on, and give a delivery window that reflects queue position. Agencies that absorb unlimited rounds watch a fixed-fee retainer turn into a loss by month two.

5. 05

   Run a 15-minute post-delivery review at the close of each video cycle

   Ask the client which single note they would have given first if they could only give one. That answer becomes the brief template for the next cycle and cuts round-one volume.

6. 06

   Publish a monthly revision-hours report alongside the deliverable count

   Show hours spent per video against the contracted cap. When the ratio climbs, the conversation shifts from 'can you do one more' to 'here is what the next tier costs.'