Videographers specialise more than their reels suggest. An excellent wedding shooter and an excellent corporate interview shooter are rarely the same person.
Define the job first
Write down what is being filmed, where, for how long, how many people are on camera, what the finished piece is for, and where it will be published. Vertical social clips, a long form interview and an event recap are three different jobs with different equipment and crew.
Read reels critically
Reels are highlights. Ask for one complete finished piece of the same type you need, start to finish. Watch with the sound on, because audio is where corporate and event video most often fails. Check whether interviews are lit consistently and whether people look comfortable.
Questions to ask
- Is this a shooting day rate, and does it include kit?
- Do you bring a sound person, or record audio yourself?
- Do you edit, and is that quoted separately?
- How many cameras, and what happens if one fails?
- Who handles lighting and how long does setup take?
- What is the turnaround for the first cut?
Deliverables in writing
Specify the number of finished pieces, their durations, aspect ratios, whether captions are included, how many rounds of revisions, whether you receive the raw footage, and who holds the archive and for how long. Ambiguity here causes most disputes.
Rights and permissions
Agree who owns the footage and what each side may use it for. Confirm releases for identifiable people, music licensing for any track used, and permission for the location. A finished film you are not allowed to publish is worthless.
On the day
Give a call sheet with times, addresses, contacts and the shot list. Allow real setup time, especially for lighting. Nominate one person to approve decisions. Feed the crew on long days; it is normal and it matters.
After the shoot
Give consolidated feedback with timecodes in one pass rather than sending notes over several days. Confirm backups exist before the raw files are deleted from cards. Pay to the agreed schedule and credit the crew.