Why 2 rounds and not unlimited
The first round is where almost all the meaningful change happens: cutting a scene, swapping the order of acts, adjusting which interview soundbites carry the story. The second round is polish. By the third round, most projects start moving sideways instead of forward.
How to give effective revision notes
Group your notes by section, give a timecode for each, and explain the why, not just the what. "At 1:23, the cut to the warehouse feels abrupt because we lose the speaker mid-thought" gives us something to act on. "The warehouse part feels off" doesn't. The clearer the notes, the faster the turn.
What counts as a revision vs a new project
A revision is reworking material we already have. Re-cutting interviews differently, adjusting pacing, swapping music. Reshooting interviews, adding new locations, or pivoting the core story is a new project, billed separately. We'll always tell you up front if a note crosses that line.
The realistic expectation
About 80% of our projects go through 2 rounds and ship. The other 20% need a third round, almost always because of an external factor (new stakeholder weighed in, brand guidelines changed mid-project). We bill the third round at our editing rate and keep moving.