The first thing people want to know when they contact Key West Video is how much a video will cost. The second thing a client wants to know is what can increase costs. We understand—the bottom line is important. After all, we’re a business, too! This blog will address concerns about going over time and how that affects your budget.

The Initial Quote

The starting point of every video project is a quote. Whether you call the office or fill out an online form, we’ll ask a series of questions that enable us to provide you with pricing. We try our best to understand the scope of your project and most often, our initial quote remains unchanged throughout the project. The items most likely to affect a quote are extra shoot days, a talent recall for a voice-over* change, and additional videos. These things add up to time outside the office.

*We use a scratch track during editing. The final voice-over with your chosen talent is left as late as possible to avoid any recalls for script changes.

Time for a Timeline

When you green light your project with Key West Video, a producer will talk to you about the specifics. They work with clients to determine a timeline based on things such as the number of shoot days, scheduling, and deadlines. We understand that project scope and requirements can sometimes change. Our team is agile and flexible and we always look to the client for guidance on timelines. If you need more time to review changes, we’ll be ready when you get back to us with consolidated feedback. If you have a quick turnaround, we’ll work with you to get your project out on time.

Changes, Feedback, and Revisions

Creating a video is a process. Before we send the first cut of a project, a lot of work and time has already been invested. All the pre-production and production, including meetings with producers and shoot days, is a prelude to post-production and the edit. This is where your video finally takes shape.

By the time we’re in editing, we have a good idea of what you want to see. However, there are always changes. The first cut is never the final cut. Think of it more as a highly-polished starting point. We’re expecting you to ask us for revisions but we also hope that we’ve given you something that’s well on its way to becoming a final cut.

Revisiting a Finalized Project

Even when a project has been finalized with all files sent to the client and archiving done on our end, revisions can be made. The passage of time can bring unanticipated changes. Your video may need an update. If that’s the case, we’ll be ready. Read a recent blog for more information on how we deal with revising a past video project.

Working on Timing Together

It’s always our goal to meet or exceed client expectations with a finished video. Sometimes it’s hard to express your ideas or even know exactly what you want at first.  Our job is to lead you through the video production process and make you comfortable. We welcome your questions and feedback. Cultivating a partnership built on trust and confidence means we can work together to create the best video possible.

This post was originally published in 2012 and has been updated to reflect current policies.