Made to watch.
Ready to share.

What files should a video invitation include?

Start with where you intend to use the invitation: a direct message, a social post, a website or several destinations. Give the designer those destinations before the layout is built. Ask your quote to name the files you will actually receive.

MP4 video

The playable final export. “MP4” alone does not specify its duration, frame dimensions, compression or audio. Agree these details for your intended use and test the export in the app and device you plan to use.

PNG or JPEG companion image

A still cover or information card guests can refer to without replaying the video. Ask whether it includes all essential event details or only acts as a cover.

Plain-text message

A practical place for the venue address, map link, RSVP route and a short introduction. Keep important facts available as readable text, especially if they are small or appear briefly in the video.

Editable source project

The working design or editing file, which is a different deliverable from the MP4. It is included only when agreed and may need specific software, fonts or other licensed assets to open correctly.

A GIF is not automatically a substitute for a video handover. If you need a particular format, say so before production so its suitability can be checked.

A new size often needs a new composition.

Portrait, square and landscape describe different shapes. Simply cutting the same frame into a new shape can remove names, crop a face or make the event details difficult to read. Ask for a layout adaptation when you need more than one shape.

Specify frame width and height in pixels as well as the shape. Platform requirements can change, so check the current upload requirements when the project is scoped and again before publishing. No single export is promised to suit every platform.

Longer is not automatically clearer. Give each scene enough time for the wording it contains. If there are several events, consider a concise video plus a detailed still or message instead of compressing everything into tiny text.

What belongs in a clear handover?

Before work starts, agree the list of exports, duration, dimensions, audio treatment, review rounds and delivery method. “A video invitation” is not a sufficiently detailed specification on its own.

• Final MP4 file or files with the agreed size, duration and audio treatment.
• A matching cover or detail image when it is included in the quote.
• Clear filenames identifying the event, shape and approved version.
• A short note explaining which file belongs to each intended use.
• Editable source files only if specifically included, with any software or asset dependencies identified.
• The agreed download method, any access expiry and the period in which a delivery issue should be reported.

Download the files into your own storage and keep a backup. A temporary transfer link is a delivery route, not permanent hosting.

Music and footage need an explicit decision.

Choose silent, authorised music or an agreed voiceover route. A song available inside one social app does not by itself establish permission to embed it in a downloadable customer video or use it elsewhere. Provide only photos, clips, logos and recordings you are authorised to share; confirm the intended uses and licences before they are added.

Cartavya’s current invitation demonstrations include original instrumental audio. A particular song, filming, voiceover or advanced animation is not implied by that example; feasibility and permissions belong in the quote.

Read delivery and revision terms ↗

A short check before the wider send.

1. Keep the original. Save the delivered MP4 and cover before uploading or forwarding. Repeated sharing or platform processing can change an export; your original lets you go back to the supplied file.
2. Open it locally. Play the entire file. Check that it starts, ends and displays correctly. If it has audio, check the full track rather than only the first scene.
3. Read it on a phone. Check names, dates, RSVP details and venue text at normal size. Essential facts should not depend on pausing at exactly the right moment.
4. Send a test through the intended route. Test with a trusted recipient before sending to the full guest list. Compare what arrived with the original: framing, legibility, playback and sound where applicable.
5. Use the appropriate sending option. If the app offers a document or file attachment route, test whether it preserves the result you need. If the normal media route makes the text unclear, use an agreed alternative such as a download link and companion image.
6. Add useful text. Include the event name, key date, venue/map link and response route in the accompanying message. Check the links after sending.
7. Review the audience. Confirm the correct guest group and event version. Treat private event locations and contact details as information intended for the invited recipients.

If playback fails, note the device, operating system, app and version, what happened, and whether the downloaded original behaves differently. That gives a much better starting point for diagnosis than “the video doesn’t work.”

Try the invitation file before you brief yours.

This is a real Cartavya studio concept with original instrumental audio with fictional names and event details. It is supplied so you can inspect the format and presentation, not as a customer case study.

The sample is an 18-second portrait invitation. The duration, layouts, soundtrack and deliverables for your project are agreed separately.

Prepare the wording and event details ↗