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How sales agents prepare dailies and promotional packages for festivals: a practical downloader’s guide

UUnknown

2026-02-15

10 min read

A practical, industry-facing workflow showing how agents like EO Media package, secure and deliver dailies, screeners and promo kits for festivals and buyers.

Hook: The deadline is tomorrow and the festival wants a screener — now what?

Every sales agent, distributor and producer has been there: a buyer, festival programmer or press contact requests a set of dailies, a festival screener or a promotional package on short notice. The pain points are familiar — file sizes that break email, codecs that refuse to play, festival delivery specs that change at the last minute, and the constant worry about leaks and rights. This guide gives an industry-facing, practical workflow used by agents like EO Media to package, secure and deliver dailies, screeners and promos in 2026.

The evolution of dailies and screeners in 2026

By 2026 the market has split into three parallel expectations. Buyers expect frictionless access and accurate metadata. Festivals expect secure, auditable delivery and proof of rights. Sales agents and creators expect efficient, automated transcodes and granular controls so they can serve both groups with minimal manual work.

Key trends shaping workflows today include increased adoption of forensic watermarking, wider use of AV1 for bandwidth-sensitive streams, AI-assisted QC and speech-to-text metadata, and stronger zero-trust download controls. Late 2025 saw major festivals require per-recipient watermarks for press screeners, and platform vendors have responded with easy integrations. Agents who adapt these practices reduce leakage, speed approvals and close deals faster.

Core definitions sales teams use (so you can speak buyer language)

Dailies — raw or lightly processed footage delivered to production stakeholders for review. High-frame accuracy, original timecode and camera metadata are essential.
Festival screener — a viewing copy formatted to a festival's specs, often watermarked and with controlled access. Not the broadcast master.
Promotional packages — trailers, social cuts, key art, stills and press one-sheets prepared for press, buyers and social platforms.
Mezzanine/master — the high-bitrate archive copy (ProRes/DNxHR) used as the source for transcodes and deliverables.

High-level workflow sales agents use (7 steps)

Ingest and provenance logging
QC and metadata extraction
Create mezzanine master and proxies
Generate secure screening file(s) and promos
Package press kit and delivery spec sheet
Host with secure access and auditing
Track engagement and manage retention

1. Ingest and provenance logging

Start with a proven ingest routine. For EO Media and similar agents, the ingest step captures the source file, checksum (MD5/SHA256), original timecode and any camera or lab metadata. Maintain a simple CSV or database log for chain of custody: who uploaded, when, source (camera/log), and transfer method.

Recommended tools: managed file transfer services (Aspera, Signiant), Enterprise file transfer, S3 with server-side checks, or enterprise upload portals that capture user identity.

2. QC and metadata extraction

Run a fast automated QC pass first. Modern QC tools (QScan, Interra Baton, Shotgrid integrations) flag common issues: dropped frames, color-space mismatches, audio phase, and missing captions. AI-assisted QC in 2025–26 has made speech-to-text practical for catching mislabelled takes and verifying credits.

Human spot-checks still matter: confirm main lead in the first three minutes, check black frames and verify slate details.

3. Create mezzanine master and proxy files

Keep a mezzanine master in ProRes 422 HQ or DNxHR HQX for interchanges. These formats preserve color fidelity and timecode. From that master create two families of files:

High-quality screening files (H.264/H.265 with forensic watermarks or streaming manifests)
Lightweight proxies and social cuts (H.264/AV1 at lower bitrates)

Example ffmpeg commands agents use for a quick H.264 screening file (no watermark):

Proxy (H.264)

    ffmpeg -i mezzanine.mov -c:v libx264 -preset slow -crf 20 -pix_fmt yuv420p -c:a aac -b:a 160k -movflags +faststart screener.mp4

Higher-efficiency screening (HEVC)

    ffmpeg -i mezzanine.mov -c:v libx265 -preset slow -crf 23 -pix_fmt yuv420p10le -c:a aac -b:a 192k screener_hevc.mp4

Note: HEVC reduces filesize but may create playback issues on older systems. By 2026 AV1 delivers better compression; consider providing AV1 alongside H.264 for web-first buyers.

4. Generate secure screening files and promos

Security is not optional. Agents use layered controls to protect screeners:

Password protected or tokenized links with short expiries
Per-recipient forensic watermarking that embeds an invisible fingerprint traceable to the recipient
Visible burn-in watermarks for press (name, email, or festival code) when required
Stream-only delivery (no download) where the festival policy requires it

Vendors such as NexGuard (NAGRA), Irdeto and several VOD platforms integrate forensic watermarking into delivery pipelines. If you need low-cost visible watermarking for immediate delivery, ffmpeg can burn a simple identifier onto the frame:

    ffmpeg -i screener.mp4 -vf "drawtext=fontfile=/path/to/font.ttf:text='Recipient: buyer@company.com':fontsize=24:fontcolor=white:x=10:y=h-th-10:box=1:boxcolor=black@0.5" -c:a copy screener_burn.mp4

For high-value festival screeners, use vendor watermarking. For example, at Content Americas 2026 EO Media combined tokenized streaming links with per-view forensic watermarks and an automated expiry set by contract.

5. Package press kits: what buyers expect

A professional press kit saves time and looks authoritative. Include:

One-sheet and logline
Synopsis and credits list (with EIDR/ISAN if available)
Director statement and bios
Stills and key art in high-res JPG/PNG
Trailer and 15/30/60-second social edits in appropriate aspect ratios
Subtitled screening copy or sidecar SRT files
Delivery specs and screening instructions

File naming conventions matter. Use this pattern: Title_version_language_resolution_date.ext. Example: UsefulGhost_Screener_EN_1080p_20260115.mp4. Consistency avoids mis-deliveries and simplifies automated ingest at buyer systems.

6. Host with secure access and auditing

Options range from enterprise managed portals to cloud object stores with signed URLs. Common architectures:

Enterprise transfer (Aspera, Signiant) for very large masters and dailies with guaranteed throughput
Secure streaming platforms (Shift72, Vimeo Enterprise, Kaltura) for press and festival screeners
S3 + CloudFront with presigned URLs and CloudFront signed cookies for controlled access

Add audit logging and retention policies. Keep a download/view log that records recipient, IP, timestamp, and playback percentage. That log is your evidence if a leak occurs and helps sales teams prioritize follow-ups.

7. Track engagement and manage retention

Set a retention policy aligned with contracts and festival windows. Typical approach:

Press preview links: 7–14 days
Festival screening windows: per festival contract, often between 14–90 days
Buyer screeners: negotiated windows, often extendable on request

Use unique links to profile engagement. If a buyer watches 80% of the screener, that’s a warm lead worth immediate outreach. Make sure your analytics and follow-up playbook map back to a clear KPI set for outreach — consider a KPI dashboard for engagement metrics.

Technical delivery specs agents should standardize in 2026

Standardize a few deliverables that cover most needs and reduce back-and-forth. The following covers the common case where you provide both a streaming screening copy and a download-ready file.

Mezzanine/master: ProRes 422 HQ (mov) or DNxHR HQX. Include timecode and original audio stems.
Screening stream: H.264 baseline/High 8-bit 4:2:0 for maximum compatibility, CFR, AAC 192kbps. 1080p@24/25/30 as per festival spec. For higher-efficiency provide HEVC/AV1 simultaneously for web players.
Downloadable screener: H.265 or high-bitrate H.264 10-20 Mbps for 1080p, or 15-40 Mbps for 2K masters. Include SRT sidecar for subtitles where requested.
Trailers: H.264 4K or 1080p, 10–30 Mbps for master trailer; social edits 1080x1080 or 1080x1920 at 6–10 Mbps.

Security and legal: what to include in recipient terms

A short, clear recipient agreement speeds deliverables acceptance. Include these elements:

Purpose limitation: viewing only for festival consideration or buyer evaluation
Prohibition of redistribution or public posting
Retention and deletion terms
Consequences for breach, including forensic watermark citation

For high-value screeners require either an NDA or a click-to-accept T&C before playback. Maintain a copy of the acceptance record (email/timestamp) in your delivery log.

Practical tools and vendor map

Here are the tool categories agents lean on and why:

Enterprise file transfer — Aspera, Signiant, FileCatalyst: for large masters and fast transfers with checksums.
Secure streaming & screening platforms — Shift72, VHX, Vimeo Enterprise, Kaltura: provide tokenized streaming and audit logs.
Forensic watermarking — NexGuard (NAGRA), Irdeto: per-recipient invisible watermarking for legal forensics.
Creative collaboration — Frame.io (Adobe), Wipster/MediaSilo: fast reviews, comments and approvals for dailies.
Cloud hosting and CDN — AWS S3 + CloudFront, Azure CDN: flexible signed URL architectures. See guidance on hardening CDN configurations for safer delivery.
QC and compliance — Interra, Tektronix, AI QC tools: automated checks to speed acceptance.

Troubleshooting common problems

Playback errors on buyer machines

Try H.264 fallback. Provide both H.264 and HEVC copies when possible.
Suggest VLC or QuickTime with codec installed; provide simple playback instructions.

Files too large to email

Use cloud-hosted presigned URLs or managed transfer. Avoid public links in email bodies; use a secure landing page.

Subtitles missing

Deliver SRT sidecars and burned-in subtitle versions for nonstandard festival players. Confirm the festival prefers sidecars or embedded captions.

Advanced strategies and future predictions (2026 and beyond)

Looking forward, three developments matter for agents packaging screeners and promos:

AI-first QC and metadata — automated tagging and speech-derived metadata will cut prep time. Expect AI to auto-generate closed captions, translations and searchable transcripts by default.
Wider AV1 deployment — AV1 will be the default for web-first screening by mid-2026. Keep H.264 for backward compatibility but offer AV1 for lower bandwidth and higher quality.
Integrated forensic watermarking at encode — vendors are embedding per-view watermarking into player SDKs and server-side encoding chains, making forensic traces instantaneous and harder to strip.

Agents who automate these elements win: faster turnarounds, fewer re-encodes, and better protection.

Actionable checklist: ready-to-send festival screener

Mezzanine master safely stored with checksum and ingest log
QC report and spot-check notes
Screening file(s): H.264 and HEVC/AV1 optional
Per-recipient watermarking or visible watermark burn
Press kit: one-sheet, bios, stills, social edits
Delivery note: expiry, playback instructions, contact for technical help
Audit log: who accepted terms and when

Mini case study: how a sales agent packages for Content Americas 2026

A real-world pattern we observed among sales teams at Content Americas 2026 — including agents representing EO Media titles — was to send a two-track package: a tokenized streaming link with per-recipient forensic watermarking plus a time-limited downloadable H.265 file for buyers who need offline viewing. The press kit included a trailer, two social edits and a one-sheet, all inside a password-protected folder with an embedded acceptance prompt. The result: fewer playback support tickets and clearer analytics for follow-up conversations.

Quick ffmpeg recipes for common tasks

Simple commands agents use daily to create web-friendly transcodes and burn-in watermarks. These are starting points — for multi-audio or colour-managed workflows rely on NLEs or dedicated encoders.

H.264 1080p high-quality:

    ffmpeg -i master.mov -c:v libx264 -preset slow -crf 18 -vf scale=1920:1080 -c:a aac -b:a 192k -movflags +faststart output_1080p_h264.mp4

Burn-in watermark with recipient email at bottom-left:

    ffmpeg -i output_1080p_h264.mp4 -vf "drawtext=fontfile=/path/to/font.ttf:text='buyer@domain.com':fontsize=22:fontcolor=white:x=10:y=h-th-10:box=1:boxcolor=black@0.6" -c:a copy watermarked.mp4

Closing: operationalize this workflow

Packaging dailies, festival screeners and promotional packages is no longer just about codecs and storage. It's an operational discipline that combines reliable transcodes, metadata, secure delivery and measurable engagement. Agents who standardize their deliverables, automate QC, and adopt per-recipient security measures will move faster and protect assets better.

Use the checklists and recipes in this guide to build a dependable delivery pipeline. Start by standardizing your mezzanine format, adding automated QC, and piloting forensic watermarking on a small festival run. Over time those investments pay off in saved hours, fewer legal headaches and more closed deals.

Call to action

Ready to streamline your festival deliveries? Download our printable screener delivery checklist and ffmpeg cheat sheet, or contact our team for a workshop that maps these processes to your current tools. Protect your content, speed approvals and convert festival interest into sales — start today.

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Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.