In video production, money goes out long before it comes in: crew, equipment, locations and talent are paid around the shoot, while the client pays after final delivery. Without staged billing, a busy month can leave a production house short of cash.
Tie payments to approvals
A common structure:
- On signing: a share that covers pre-production and booking costs.
- After the shoot: a share that covers production costs.
- On final delivery: the balance.
Each stage follows a client approval: the script, the shoot itself, and the final cut.
Be specific about revisions
Edits are where projects overrun. Agree:
- the number of review rounds included;
- what counts as a revision versus a new request;
- how extra rounds are priced.
Get the paperwork in order before the shoot
- Signed script and storyboard.
- Location permissions.
- Talent releases.
- Insurance.
Missing paperwork can stop a shoot, or stop a video being used.
Track costs per project
Record crew, equipment, location and talent costs against each project. Re-billable costs should be invoiced with the right mark-up as agreed.
How MSMEPulse helps
MSMEPulse includes corporate video production and product photoshoot templates with milestones for script approval, shoot and final delivery, and a checklist for permissions and releases. Record production costs as project expenses, re-bill them where agreed, and invoice each milestone as soon as it's approved.
