Most brands don’t think much about the contract until something goes wrong. And by then, what’s in it — or conspicuously absent from it — matters enormously. A good production contract isn’t bureaucracy. It’s the document that protects both sides, sets clear expectations, and prevents the misunderstandings that turn promising creative partnerships into difficult conversations.
After 15 years in production I’ve seen contracts that were too vague, contracts that were missing critical clauses, and contracts that were so one-sided they should have been a red flag before the work even started. Here’s what to look for before you sign.
“A good contract isn’t about distrust. It’s about making sure everyone is working from the same understanding of what the project actually is.”
Scope of Work
The most important section of any production contract is the scope of work. This should describe specifically what is being produced — not just “a brand video” but the format, the approximate length, the number of shoot days, the locations, the deliverables, and the revision process. Vague scope is the root cause of most production disputes.
Pay particular attention to what’s explicitly included and what isn’t. Music licensing, motion graphics, colour grading, closed captions, additional export formats for different platforms — if you need these, make sure they’re in the scope. If they’re not and you ask for them after the fact, you’ll be looking at a change order.
Payment Schedule and Terms
Production contracts typically structure payments in stages: a deposit to hold the dates and commence pre-production, a payment at the start of production or delivery of a rough cut, and a final payment on delivery. This structure is standard and reasonable — it protects the production company against non-payment and gives the client checkpoints where they’re not paying for work they haven’t seen.
Be cautious about contracts that ask for full payment upfront or that have no clear connection between payment milestones and deliverable milestones. And make sure the terms around late payment are clear — what happens if you need to push the timeline, and what happens if the production company does.
Revision Policy
How many rounds of revisions are included? What constitutes a revision versus a new direction? What is the process and timeline for providing feedback? These questions need to be answered in the contract, not after the first cut lands in your inbox.
A typical professional arrangement includes two to three rounds of revisions within a defined window. Revisions beyond that are billed at an agreed rate. This is fair — unlimited revisions are not a reasonable expectation and a contract that promises them is either not being honest or not being sustainable.
Intellectual Property and Usage Rights
Who owns the finished video? Where and how are you allowed to use it? For how long? These are not small questions. A contract should specify clearly that upon final payment you receive full ownership of the finished deliverables and the right to use them across your intended channels without restriction.
Pay attention to clauses around raw footage. Ownership of the edited master is standard. Ownership of the raw footage — the unedited material from the shoot — varies by production company. If you want access to raw footage for future use, get that in writing before you sign.
Kill Fee and Cancellation Terms
What happens if you need to cancel or postpone the project after the contract is signed? A kill fee — a percentage of the total contract value paid if the project is cancelled after a certain point — is standard and reasonable. It compensates the production company for the dates they’ve held, the pre-production work they’ve done, and the other work they may have turned down to hold your schedule.
Understand what triggers the kill fee and what the percentage is at different stages. Cancelling before pre-production begins should carry a different fee than cancelling the day before the shoot.
Red Flags to Watch For
A contract that has no scope of work detail, asks for full payment before any work is delivered, includes no revision policy, or is silent on intellectual property ownership is a contract that hasn’t been thought through carefully. That often reflects how the rest of the engagement will go. A professional production company will have a clear, detailed contract that they can explain and discuss. If the paperwork feels rushed or vague, pay attention to that signal.
The contract is the foundation of the creative relationship. Getting it right at the start means everyone can focus on the work rather than managing mismatched expectations along the way.
A client and producer reviewing a Video Production Services Agreement — the contract is the foundation of any successful creative partnership.
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