This Documentary Contract sits alongside the proposal you accepted and covers the documentary video work I’m doing for you. My aim is simple: I keep a low profile on site so your day can run, while I still run the filming and edit tightly enough that you don’t have to manage the camera.
If anything in the agreed plan changes once we’re underway, I’ll flag it early, price it, and get your written go-ahead before I do the extra work. Everything else runs on the terms below.
What I’m doing
I’ll carry out the half-day documentary shoot and the edit work described in the accepted scope for this project. The items listed under this section are what you’re booking, including the shoot day, interview capture, location coverage, post-production through to final exports.
A normal flow is: a quick recce and a call sheet, an interview block, B-roll on the cellar floor or on location, one review cut, then final export and delivery. If access, timing, or locations change late, I’ll tell you what that means for what can fit into the half-day before we roll camera.
* Half-day documentary shoot * Interview setup and capture * B-roll and location coverage * Documentary edit to picture lock * Dialogue edit and basic web mix * Final exports for web delivery
Payment
To book the work, I invoice 40% of the total price when you sign. That booking invoice is what holds the date for you.
I invoice the remaining 60% when the finished work is handed over. Each invoice is payable within 14 days of its date. If an invoice goes past due, I’ll pause new work and hold back final exports until the account is up to date. If a delay on payment creates knock-on costs for rescheduling, couriers, or third-party services you asked for, I’ll raise those with you first and invoice them if you approve them in writing.
Review changes
You’ll receive one review cut with one round of changes included. A “round” means you collect your notes, send them to me in one list, and I address them in one pass. This keeps the edit moving and stops the project drifting because different people send direction at different times.
Changes beyond that included round, or notes that change the brief (for example a new story angle, new lines of messaging, or swapping music direction after approval), are not included. If you want another round, I’ll quote it first. I only start extra edit work once you’ve approved that quote in writing.
Who owns what
Once the final invoice is paid, you own the finished video files I deliver as the final exports, and you can use them for your own business as you need to.
What I keep are my project files and working materials. That includes edit timelines, colour and sound session files, templates, graphics setups, and any tools or methods I use to make the work. If you’d like me to hand over project files for your own editor to take over, I can do that as a separate, quoted item, because it takes time to clean up, package, and transfer properly.
Showing the work
Unless you ask me not to, I may show the finished work as part of my portfolio. That can include my website, a private pitch deck, or social channels, and I’ll always keep it to the final exported piece rather than behind-the-scenes material.
If the timing is sensitive, tell me. I’m happy to hold off posting until after your release date, or not show it at all. If you want it kept off my portfolio, email me that request in writing before delivery, and I’ll treat it as a standing instruction for this project.
Problems and limits
I’ll take care with your space and your people, and I’ll run simple setups so I’m not in the way. That said, I can’t take responsibility for things I can’t control on location, like wind, machinery noise, changing light, or interruptions from a working cellar or busy floor. I plan sound first, choose workable placement, mic carefully, and record background tone to help smooth edits, but some environments will always sound like work.
I’m also not responsible for losses that sit outside the film itself, like missed sales, reputational claims, or decisions made based on the video. If something goes wrong because of my mistake, I’ll fix it where I reasonably can, which may mean re-editing, re-exporting, or reshooting if access allows.
Ending the project
If you need to end the project, tell me in writing. I’ll stop work, confirm what’s been completed up to that point, and invoice for the work done and any costs I’ve already committed to for you. If the shoot date is still ahead, we’ll agree the notice period in writing based on what’s booked and what can realistically be re-sold.
If I need to end the project for a serious reason, I’ll also tell you in writing and explain what happens next. Once any invoices for work already completed are paid, I’ll hand over what I have that’s usable at that stage, which may include selected footage or an edit version, depending on how far we’ve reached.
Signature
