If you've ever had two editors produce videos that look like they're from different companies, you know why style guides matter. A video editing style guide documents how your videos should look, sound and feel, so every edit is consistent no matter who makes it. It speeds up onboarding, cuts revisions and protects your brand as you scale. Here's what to include and how to build one.
Why you need one
- Consistency: viewers recognise your content instantly.
- Faster onboarding: new editors get up to speed in days, not weeks.
- Fewer revisions: fewer "that's not quite our style" notes.
- Scalability: multiple editors can work in parallel without drift.
What to include
Brand basics
- Logo files and rules for when and where the logo appears.
- Brand colours with exact values.
- Fonts for titles, captions and lower thirds, with files or links.
Captions
- Font, size, colour, outline or background.
- Position and safe zones per platform.
- Words per line, highlight style for key words, emoji use.
- Spelling conventions (for example, UK or US English).
See captions for shortform video.
Pacing and structure
- How fast cuts should be in different formats.
- Hook rules: how quickly the point must arrive.
- Standard structure for recurring formats.
Graphics and animation
- Lower thirds, title cards, callouts and chart styles.
- Transition types allowed, and banned.
- Template files for all of the above.
Music and sound
- Musical mood and genres that fit the brand.
- Approved music sources and licence details. See music licensing.
- Sound effect style: subtle, playful or none.
- Loudness and mix targets.
Colour
The overall look: natural, warm, high-contrast. Provide LUTs or reference frames if you have them.
Intros, outros and calls to action
Whether to use intros at all, end screen layout, and standard CTA wording.
Export settings
Resolutions, aspect ratios, frame rates, codecs and file naming for each platform. See aspect ratios for social.
Do's and don'ts
A short list of things editors should always or never do, based on past feedback.
Show, don't just tell
Words like "energetic" or "clean" are open to interpretation. Include:
- Links to two or three of your best videos, with timestamps for key techniques.
- Screenshots of correct caption and graphic usage.
- Examples of what not to do.
How to build it
- Collect your best work: pick videos that represent the style you want.
- Note what makes them work: fonts, pacing, music, graphics.
- Review past feedback: recurring revision notes become rules.
- Create templates: project files, graphics and export presets.
- Write it simply: short sections, bullets, visuals.
- Test it: give it to an editor and see what questions they still ask.
Keep it a living document
Your style evolves. Update the guide when you change fonts, adopt a new format or notice repeated feedback. Date versions so editors know they're using the latest. A short changelog at the top helps.
Format and tools
A shared document, a page in your wiki or a simple PDF all work. What matters is that it's easy to find, easy to skim and linked from every brief. Store template files alongside it in a shared drive.
Style guides for agencies
Agencies managing several clients need one guide per client, plus internal standards that apply to all work. This is especially important with white-label partners, who must deliver in each client's style without direct contact. See white-label editing for agencies.
Style guide vs brief
The style guide covers what's always true. The brief covers what's specific to one video: goal, audience, key message, footage and deadline. Together they give an editor everything they need. See how to brief a video editor.
The short version
Document brand basics, captions, pacing, graphics, music, colour, CTAs and export settings, with examples and templates. Keep it short, visual and up to date, and link it from every brief.
A one-page starter template
If a full guide feels like too much, start with one page covering:
- Look: two fonts, three brand colours, logo placement.
- Captions: one style for shortform, one for long-form, with a screenshot of each.
- Pace: how fast the hook should land and how tight the cuts should be.
- Sound: music mood, approved sources and effect style.
- Exports: ratios, resolutions and file naming.
- Examples: links to three videos you love, with timestamps.
Use it for a month, note the questions editors still ask, and expand from there. A short guide people actually use is worth more than a long one that sits unopened in a drive.
Onboarding new editors with the guide
Walk new editors through the guide on a short call, then give them a small test edit using it. Review the test against the guide together. This turns the document into shared understanding quickly. See running a test edit.
Revisit the test edit after a few weeks of real work too. The questions a new editor asks are the best signal of what your guide still leaves unclear.
Related guides
See also giving editors feedback and sending footage to an editor. See our work or get in touch.