How to Request Footage from a Client: Upload Link and Message Templates

To request footage from a client, send one clear message with the project, exact assets, upload destination, deadline and a way to get help. Decide whether you need camera originals, selected clips or reference video before creating the link. Then tell the client what confirmation to expect.

An upload request is an inbound route: the client sends media to you. A download link is an outbound route: they retrieve something you shared. A project may use both, so label the link’s purpose instead of sending an unexplained URL.

Decide what the editor needs before asking

“Please send the footage” leaves several decisions with the client. They may choose a compressed preview, omit separate sound, or send every take when you only need approved selects. Match the request to the next production step.

Keep original camera filenames and package structure unless the editor has specified a compatible alternative. Ask for a distinct outer folder for each card or contribution, rather than asking the client to rename every camera clip. The raw-footage delivery guide explains package preservation and verification.

Request format conversions only when the workflow needs them. If you need an original-quality file, say so; “make it smaller” can lead to an export that no longer serves the edit. Also name supporting material explicitly, such as separate audio or an approved reference cut.

Create a receiving link that matches the request

Use an existing collection tool if it already meets the job. For example, Dropbox File Requests accept submissions without the sender having a Dropbox account; the owner’s available storage and the applicable request limits still matter. Check those against the package before asking the client to start.

With WarpSend File Requests, the receiver creates a cloud inbox and shares its browser upload link. The client does not need a WarpSend account. A practical setup sequence is:

1. Open File Requests and choose Create request.
2. Give it a project-specific Request title. In Instructions, state the asset scope and any packaging requirement.
3. If the team wants an endpoint copy, enable Automatically save to an endpoint and select the endpoint, share and destination folder. Files reach the cloud inbox first; the endpoint saves its copy afterward.
4. Review Advanced options: requested sender details, optional password and expiry, submission size and count limits, and retention. Match them to the agreed material and available allowance.
5. Create the request, copy its link and open the public upload page to check the title, instructions and access requirements before sending it.
6. Put the link in a short client message with the due time and a named contact. Share a password through the project’s agreed channel when one is required.

Do not treat a requested name or email as proof of identity. Use the project’s established contact channel to send the request, and follow its access requirements.

Separate three dates in your planning: submission deadline, request expiry and received-file retention. “Please upload by Friday” is an instruction to the client; it does not by itself configure the link to close. An inbox’s retention setting is also not a project archive policy. Leave enough operational time to receive and verify the agreed package before its storage window ends. Consult current pricing and allowance details for the account you will use.

Send a message the client can act on

Replace the bracketed fields in this template. Remove items that do not apply, and keep the instructions consistent with the request page.

Subject: [Project] — footage upload for [shoot/date]

Hi [name],

Please upload the following for [project / next editing step]:

• [Camera originals or agreed selects, with shoot/camera/card scope]
• [Separate audio, if needed]
• [Reference cut or other supporting material, if needed]

Upload here: [request link] Please complete the upload by [date, time and timezone].

Keep the original camera folders and filenames intact. Put each card in its own clearly labelled outer folder. Please do not re-encode the source footage unless we have agreed on a specific format.

After the page confirms the files were sent, reply with the submission reference and note anything still outstanding. We will check the package and confirm whether anything is missing.

If the link is unavailable or the files exceed its limit, contact [name / agreed contact channel] before splitting or changing them.

Thank you, [name]

For a selects-only request, replace the originals instruction with a precise scope, for example: “Please send the original-quality clips for the approved takes in the attached shot list; no trimming or re-encoding is needed.” If exports really are required, specify the agreed export settings instead. The instruction should reflect the editor’s decision.

Avoid pasting a long tool manual into the email. The upload page can guide the mechanics; the message should settle what to send, where to send it and when it is due.

Tell the client what counts as a completed submission

For WarpSend requests, ask the client to keep the upload tab open until the page confirms Files sent. That state means the upload reached the receiving inbox. Later processing or endpoint delivery is a separate step, and neither proves that every item on your creative brief was included.

The receipt shows a file count, total size and submission reference. Ask for the reference when following up, so the team can identify the right submission without asking the client to upload everything again.

If the connection breaks, follow the page’s retry or resume instructions. Do not promise that closing any browser or switching devices will always preserve progress. The browser upload guide explains how saved-session restoration differs from retrying an open upload.

Follow up on the specific gap

A targeted message is easier to act on than another request for “all footage.” First check what arrived and whether a separate submission already contains the missing material.

Hi [name],

We received submission [reference] for [project]. The [specific received package] is present.

We still need [exact missing card, audio package or clip scope]. Please upload only that missing package using [request link] by [date, time and timezone]. Keep its original structure.

Please keep the source copies until we confirm the agreed package is complete and the project’s retention plan is covered.

If the link has expired or is no longer accepting uploads, the receiving team should review its status and limits before issuing another instruction. An extension is not useful if the request has already reached a different limit.

The earlier upload link is no longer accepting submissions. Please use [confirmed working request link] for [remaining scope]. The revised deadline is [date, time and timezone].

We already have [received scope]; please do not send it again. Contact [name] if the upload page still prevents the submission.

Change a request’s access or time settings only as agreed for that project. Do not send a replacement link before checking that it reaches the intended destination.

Close the loop with the editor

Once the files arrive, the receiving team still needs to check the agreed scope, package integrity where applicable and the working destination. If an endpoint was offline, confirm its saved copy before telling the editor to use local media.

Use the client footage intake workflow to record receipt, verification, missing items and release to editorial. A useful final reply names the accepted package and any remaining gap. It gives the client a clear stopping point and the editor a clear starting point.

If requests like this are part of every project, the video production workflow shows how requests, delivery links and endpoint transfers fit together across a production.

Frequently asked questions

What should I say when I request footage from a client?

Name the project, list the footage and supporting assets, specify originals or agreed selects, and provide the upload link, deadline with timezone, and a contact for problems. Explain how you will confirm receipt.

Is an upload request link the same as a download link?

An upload request link lets the client send files to your receiving destination. A download link lets them retrieve files you have already shared. State the direction clearly in the message.

Does the client need a WarpSend account?

A client can submit through a WarpSend File Request without creating a WarpSend account. They may still need to enter the name, email or password required by that request and complete the page’s verification.

Should I ask for all originals or selected clips?

Ask the editor which scope is needed. For originals, request complete relevant camera packages and separate audio. For selects, define the shoot, clips or timecodes and whether original quality is required. Do not leave the client to guess.

How do the deadline, link expiry and file retention differ?

The deadline is your agreement about when the client should submit. Link expiry controls when the request stops accepting uploads. Retention concerns how long received files remain available. Set and communicate each separately.