A deliverables list specifies exactly what a project hands over: every file, in every format, at every duration, with its technical specification and where it will be used.
It is the least creative document in a project and the one that decides whether the budget holds. "One brand video" is not a deliverable. "One 30-second master at 16:9, three 15-second cutdowns at 9:16, one 6-second bumper, all with burnt-in captions and a silent version" is nine files, and those are two different projects.
What each row needs
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Name | Hero master |
| Format | 16:9, 1920x1080, H.264 |
| Duration | 30s |
| Quantity | 1 |
| Audio | Full mix, plus a music-only version |
| Captions | Burnt-in and separate SRT |
| Destination | Website hero, YouTube |
| Deadline | Date |
The destination column earns its place: it is what settles arguments about specification, because a file for a website and a file for broadcast have different requirements and someone will otherwise assume.
Why vague lists blow budgets
Versioning is priced per version, and the gap between what a client pictures and what a production team quotes almost always lives here. A client saying "we need the video for socials" is picturing one file. The production team is hearing four aspect ratios, three durations, caption variants, and a silent cut, which is twelve deliverables.
The fix is not negotiation, it is enumeration, done at brief stage. See how to brief a creative team and how to version creative for a campaign.
What people forget to list
Silent versions, for feeds that autoplay muted.
Caption files, separate from burnt-in captions, since some platforms want them uploaded.
Source files and project archives, if the client expects to edit later. This is a real deliverable with real cost.
Stills pulled from the video, which are almost always wanted afterward and rarely scoped.
Thumbnails and end cards.
The localized versions, if the campaign runs in more than one market.
Related concepts
What is a usage licence covers where those deliverables are allowed to run. Multi-format export workflow covers producing the format set without degrading the composition. How much does a brand video cost in 2026 covers how versioning lands in a quote.
Enumerate the list before anything is made, and the format versions get planned into the shoot rather than salvaged from it. The 8frame canvas is free and unlimited, and generation is paid from $19/month.