A handoff is finished when the client can use everything without asking you a question. That is a higher bar than sending a folder, and the gap between the two is where most post-delivery friction lives: the file nobody can identify, the format that turned out to be missing, the question of whether they can run it for another year. Everything below exists to close that gap in one delivery rather than four emails.
What to deliver
The files, named for a stranger. refill_hero_30s_16x9_v3_final.mp4 tells someone in six months what it is. final_v3.mp4 does not. Use the convention from how to organize creative assets and apply it to the delivered copies, not just yours.
Every format that was scoped. Check the deliverables list against the folder before sending. Half of all "you forgot the square version" emails are true.
Silent and captioned versions, if the work runs on social. Include the caption file separately as well as burnt in.
Stills pulled from the video. Almost always wanted afterward, rarely scoped. Including three costs you nothing and prevents a request.
A one-page handoff note. What is in the folder, which file goes where, the usage terms, and who to contact. This one page prevents most of the questions.
The handoff note, in full
Campaign: Refill launch Files: 9. Master 30s 16:9, three 15s 9:16 cutdowns, one 6s bumper, all with burnt-in captions, plus silent versions and SRT files. Where each runs: master on the site and YouTube, cutdowns on Meta and TikTok, bumper for pre-roll. Usage: 12 months from delivery, organic and paid social, worldwide. Talent: licensed for the same term. Extending requires a new agreement. Music: licensed track, same term, licence reference included. Source files: available on request; not included in the delivered scope. AI generation: used for environment and b-roll shots. Product and talent footage is filmed. Contact: [name], [email].
Boring, one page, and it answers what people would otherwise email you about over the following month.
The parts people forget
Usage terms in writing at delivery. Clients reasonably assume they own what they paid for, and often what they bought is a licence for a term. Saying this at handoff rather than at renewal avoids an awkward conversation later. See what is a usage licence.
Source and project files. Decide before delivery whether they are included, because it changes what you are selling. If they are not, say so in the note rather than declining later.
Disclosure of AI generation. State what was generated and what was filmed. Some clients have downstream disclosure obligations, and all of them prefer knowing at delivery to discovering it.
A retention plan. How long you keep the project files. Clients assume forever; storage is not forever.
Delivery mechanics
Use a link, not an attachment, and use one that does not expire in seven days. Structure the folder the way the client thinks, which is by placement (social/, web/, email/), not by your production stages. Include a README with the handoff note in it, because the person who opens the folder in six months is not the person you emailed.
FAQ
Should I include project and source files? Only if scoped. They are a deliverable with real value; giving them away by default removes a reason to come back and can create support expectations.
How do I stop post-delivery requests? The one-page note plus complete format coverage handles most. What remains is usually scope, which belongs in a change order rather than a favour.
Do I need to tell the client which shots were AI-generated? State it at delivery. It costs nothing, it is increasingly expected, and discovering it later damages trust more than the fact ever would.
The handoff is finished when nobody needs to ask you anything. The 8frame canvas is free and unlimited, and generation is paid from $19/month.