What to Discuss with a Client Before Production Starts
[Updated Feb. 21, 2022, with comments from John Forrest.]
This is an article I need your help with. While every project is different, most of us work in corporate or client-based video. As you start a new project, what topics are key to discuss with a client before pre-production starts?
I’m compiling this to share with students and folks new to the industry to help them understand the client planning needed at the start of a project.
Since all we have to sell is our skills and time, it’s good to get these resolved at the start.
NOTE: Clearly there are more tasks than this associated with any production. My goal here is to list those that affect the working relationship between client and production agency. This is not to say that changes are not permitted. Rather, this explains who needs to approve them and any budget impact they may cause.
Please add your thoughts in the comments and I’ll update this article as we go.
OPERATIONAL
- A written agreement is always a good idea, who signs it?
- What’s the budget?
- Does pre-production start without the first payment?
- When are payments due?
- What’s the deadline?
- What in-progress reports does the client expect, who writes them and who receives them?
- Who approves the finished project?
- What’s the delivery format – or – where will the video be used?
- Is there a secondary platform on which the finished production will be accessed
- What files do you want of the finished production, and in what format (thumb drive, hard drive, DVD, etc.)?
CONTENT PLANNING
- Who determines the objectives of the video?
- Who is the target audience for this production?
- What outcomes would you hope the finished production achieves?
- Who is writing the script or outline?
- Who needs to review it?
- How many revisions are allowed without changing the budget?
- Who approves it?
- Does production start before the script/outline is approved?
PRE-PRODUCTION
- If this video requires special facilities or locations, who obtains them?
PRODUCTION
- Who, if anyone, from the client will be allowed on set?
- What authority does the client have on set?
- If changes need to be made from the script, who approves them?
- If changes need to be made that affect the budget, who approves the extra money?
EDITING
- Who reviews the edited version?
- How many revisions are allowed without affecting the budget?
- If changes need to be made that affect the budget, who approves the new budget?
- Who signs off on the final version?
- To whom is the final version sent?
- Who’s responsible for archiving project files and media?
Let me know what I forgot in the comments section.
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31 Responses to What to Discuss with a Client Before Production Starts
Newer Comments →-
Keith Woolford says:
February 21, 2022 at 3:41 am
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Daniel Larson says:
February 21, 2022 at 4:46 am
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Lorenzo Baldi says:
February 21, 2022 at 5:24 am
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Edward Goldstein says:
February 21, 2022 at 5:28 am
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Stewart Stroup says:
February 21, 2022 at 6:04 am
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Don Hertz says:
February 21, 2022 at 7:07 am
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Peter Phillips says:
February 21, 2022 at 7:58 am
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Constance says:
February 21, 2022 at 8:03 am
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Tim D says:
February 21, 2022 at 8:16 am
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Christopher Meurer says:
February 21, 2022 at 9:51 am
Newer Comments →Perhaps four additions to consider within the contract:
– All necessary permissions to film secured by client (location, people etc.)
– Master media will be kept for XX years
– No copying without prior approval
– Any non-confidential content may be submitted in suitable competition
Hi Larry,
In the proposal and in the final agreement, I state the intended length of the video and tie that to the outline or script. I’ve found that the length of the video directly affects the budget outside of the fixed costs. Also stated is that if the project length increases or if production values are added unreasonably beyond what was quoted, then the budget can be revisited at any time. In short, be specific when writing the proposal and final agreement, but flexible when in production to keep the customer happy knowing you can point to the agreement if demands get out of hand.
– Dan
Some more items in the pre-production tab:
Is a site inspection required and does it affect the budget?
Is lighting needed?
Are the locations for interviews acustically fit (background noise, loud sounds from other activities that can’t be stopped, children criying, cars and transport)?
How many hours constitute an editing day? Will there be a meal break? Is there a penalty if there is no break? (If these questions are not answered, in writing, before the edit, you might wind up making less money hourly than you would flipping burgers at MacDonald’s.)
An excellent list! However, casting wasn’t addressed. Under pre-production I’d want to know who is responsible for selecting cast members, will the cast members be employees or professionals or a mixture, will a teleprompter be used, will there be interviews and if so with whom. I’d also want to know who will keep the model and location releases for future reference and what the budget for talent will be.
Hi Larry. Great list! Two additional items to consider:
1. When working with larger clients there is almost always a liability insurance requirement. So I typically ask if there is an insurance requirement and what the levels need to be to make sure I meet them. I’ll then typically be asked to send over proof of insurance before they cut the final purchase order.
2. This is typically part of the contract so maybe you don’t need to list it separately, but I always discuss in advance who is expected to pay for additional licensing as needed – music, images, video, etc. I prefer to put this in the clients court, so if they decide they really want that $750 Getty photo instead of a $50 Shutterstock photo, they know it’s at their expense and not mine.
When I was producing and writing educational videos I always wanted to know:
(1) What problem is the problem meant to solve?
(2) How will we know if the video is effective?
Hi Larry, my work is definitely not as complex as others ( I film lectures of authors). But I would add questions, as appropriate, about client logos, title colors and formats. During filming will I have access to the lecture audio equipment, e.g., I work with the university’s audio vendor and use their press box. And with output, what media formats and delivery requirements are needed.
Constance
Something I face often these days is multiple deliverable formats. For example, a vertical version and a square version for various social media, a shorter version for social media. And burned in captions are becoming very popular for social media so folks can read the captions before they click on the video to get audio. All of these add time in lost, but if they’re considered ahead of time, it is easy to accomplish in modern NLEs.
It’s all boils down to one word: assumptions.
We just need to think of every possible thing that could be assumed and put an answer next to it which you’ve already done here with a wonderfully detailed list.
That’s always been a safe way to write a statement of work that’s bullet proof.
Example: Production, “we assume you just need the final deliverable on a hard drive you the client will be providing” Client, “actually we need the project files also so our in house team can make tweaks in the future and we’d like you the production to provide the hard drive” Boom that goes in the SOW. Every single step in a granular process needs to be considered and added if appropriate to the SOW. Some people reading your article may think that if the gig is only a $1000 shoot maybe this is all overkill. And yes it can seem that way but I can say in my experience the smallest jobs have yielded the biggest problems, from chasing down payment to a client saying the product wasn’t what they asked for because it didn’t perform the way the expected when we did exactly to the T what they asked for. The bigger budgets seem to go way smoother and I believe it’s due to the detailed SOW’s that eliminate every possible assumption. Also you can’t forget to put the the “what happens then” statements. Example, the SOW say the client must pay in 30 days but then the client is late to pay by more that 2 weeks. What happens then? 1.5% late fee? Something else? Etc.