Table of contents
Most companies start by asking for prices. Four numbers come back with a wide spread, and the comparison makes things worse rather than clearer. The reason is simple: without a brief, every vendor estimates a different project. One quote includes aerial footage but not voiceover; another includes shooting but not scripting.
1. Purpose First, Visuals Later
Purpose decides everything. A film for customers, investors, a job fair or a showroom loop has a different runtime, pace and vocabulary. Define purpose, then discuss style, or you will be steered by words like "premium" and "cinematic".
Decide one more thing early: whether the footage will be cut down for social. If so, the contract should cover vertical versions and burned-in subtitles, otherwise the cut-downs are quoted separately later.
2. Six Fields Every Brief Needs
| Field | What to write | Cost of leaving it vague |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose and placement | Website, trade show, tender, recruiting | Style and runtime churn |
| Runtime | Main film length, cut-down needs | Script structure discarded |
| Narrative focus | Production, R&D, service, team - pick two | Everything shown, nothing remembered |
| Filmable locations | Workshop, lab, store, office | Locations hunted on shoot day |
| On-camera people | Staff, executives, customers | Scheduling stalls, dates slip |
| Deliverables | Main cut, vertical cut, subtitles, raw assets | Upcharges after delivery |
One page is enough. Fill all six and every quote starts from the same line.
3. How to Read Quotes Side by Side
Split each quote into scripting, shooting, post and delivery. A common pattern is a low scripting fee paired with tight shooting days and a single revision round, so every later change is billable.
Check three things: whether shooting days match the number of locations; whether voiceover and music licensing are included; and how many revision rounds are covered, plus whether structural changes count as revisions.
4. Four Clauses to Fix in the Contract
Deliverables and formats, itemised. Revision rounds and the rate beyond them. Asset ownership and usage scope, especially where customers appear on camera. Delay and force majeure handling, since weather and plant shutdowns affect real locations.
5. Acceptance
Judge three things: whether industry actions are specific, whether claims and figures can be checked, and whether subtitles match the voiceover. Polish is a baseline, not the acceptance criterion. Attach the checklist to the contract.
6. FAQ
How long does a corporate film take?
Four to eight weeks typically: one to two weeks for planning and script, one to three shoot days, two to three weeks of post. Multi-site shoots take longer.
Budget is tight - what do we cut?
Cut locations, not scripting or post. Five locations down to three is often invisible to viewers; a vague script shows everywhere.
Can we use a template and our own footage?
Fine for internal reporting, weak for external use. Templates solve packaging, not what the company actually does.
How do we judge a vendor?
Listen for specific questions: who is the audience, where will it play. Vendors who only discuss style tend to iterate endlessly later.
See also
- Corporate film: the full process from brief to delivery
- Script structure for industrial topics
- Where the film lives on the website
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