Give approval work its own space
The Commercial / Advertising template starts with brief and creative approval, then casting, locations, styling, boards and a tech scout. Adjust that structure for your actual scope. A tabletop shoot and a location-heavy spot should not inherit the same assumptions simply because both are commercials.
Add explicit review tasks where a decision is needed. Include the expected response window in your plan instead of treating a review as instantaneous. Keep the approved assets and the client conversation in their own systems; a task name is not evidence of approval.
Connect the shoot to what you must deliver
Check the shoot days against the material required for the master and any cutdowns or alternate versions. Use task names that make the work recognisable. If one version needs a separate finishing pass, represent that work rather than hiding it in a single delivery date.
Assign cast to shoot-day tasks and inspect the DOOD view when it helps you understand their involvement. Keep location, wardrobe and other preparation dates visible around the shoot, so you can notice when a late change reaches more than one department.
Leave a readable path through finishing
Offline edit, VFX, colour and sound do not all answer to the same approval. Make the relevant handoffs explicit, then check how a revised edit affects the next stage. Avoid promising that a schedule tool will resolve the creative or client decision itself.
For the handoff, export the current schedule with a clear revision and state what changed. A PDF is useful for a fixed reference; a spreadsheet supports a more detailed review. Both are snapshots of your browser-local plan, not automatically synchronised client workspaces.
- Separate work from approval points.
- Name version-specific finishing tasks where needed.
- Check the final deliverables against the current plan.
On the desk
A commercial’s key handoffs
Illustrative planning questions, not a promise that approvals or deliverables are tracked automatically.
| Handoff | Question to settle |
|---|---|
| Creative → Prep | Which brief and treatment are approved? |
| Prep → Shoot | Are cast, locations and the shot list ready? |
| Offline → Finish | Which edit is ready for colour, sound and VFX? |
| Finish → Delivery | Which masters and versions need checking? |
No account needed for manual planning. Your project stays in this browser unless you export it or use a connected AI route.