If you’ve never commissioned a video before, it’s hard to know what happens when, or what you’ll be asked to do. Here’s the whole journey, step by step, with a free checklist to get you and your team ready for the shoot day.
A good video project feels calm, because everyone knows what’s coming next. Here’s what I’ll ask of you at each stage, and what I’ll be doing in the background.
Send a few lines through the enquiry form: who you are, what the video is for, any fixed dates, and a budget range if you have one.
I read every enquiry myself and reply personally within 24 hours, with any questions and a few times for a call.
Tell me about your organisation, your audience, and what should change once people have watched the film. No preparation needed.
I ask questions, suggest the approach I think will work best, and tell you honestly what it’s likely to cost.
Read the quote, ask anything you like, and when you’re happy, pay the 50% booking fee to secure your filming dates.
I send an itemised quote showing exactly what’s included, with your filming dates and the date you’ll see a first draft. Quotes stay valid for 30 days.
Line up the people who’ll appear, confirm locations and access, and send over logos or brand guidelines. Two to three weeks’ notice is standard for a planned film.
I shape the story, prepare interview questions, plan the shots, and send consent forms and a simple schedule so everyone knows where to be and when.
Get people and spaces ready (the checklist below helps), and have one person on hand who can make decisions on the day.
I set up lighting and sound, put people at ease, and film everything on the plan. A shoot day is up to 10 hours on location, and footage is backed up to two separate drives the same day.
Watch the first draft, gather comments from everyone who needs to sign off, and send them back as one combined set within 7 working days.
I edit, colour grade, mix the sound, and add licensed music and subtitles. Two rounds of changes are included for every video.
Download your files within 60 days and keep a copy somewhere safe. Then put the film to work on your website, in proposals and across social media.
I deliver the final films in every format agreed in your quote: widescreen masters, vertical and square versions, and subtitle files.
Once your film is live, here’s how to get the most from your video.
These are the points people usually ask about. The full details are in my terms and conditions.
| Booking fee | 50% of the project fee, paid to confirm your filming dates. |
| The balance | The other 50%, invoiced when the finished video is delivered and payable within 30 days. |
| Travel | Included within 50 miles of Edinburgh. Further afield, travel and any overnight stay are charged at cost. |
| Changes | Two rounds per video are included. A round is one combined set of comments, and extra rounds are £250 each. |
| Bad weather or illness | If a shoot can’t go ahead for reasons outside both our control, I reschedule to the next date we’re both free, at no extra day rate. |
| Postponing | With more than 14 days’ notice, your booking fee moves once to a new date within 90 days. |
| Retainers | Invoiced monthly in advance, on 6 or 12-month terms. |
Want a ballpark before we talk? The video cost calculator gives you a price range in under a minute.
Tick things off as you go. Your progress is saved in this browser, so you can come back to it, and you can print it or copy it to share with your team.
Filming in your own premises? My guide to preparing your space for a shoot goes into more detail.
The simple rule: wear what you’d wear to meet an important client, in colours that sit comfortably on screen. Here’s the detail, worth forwarding to anyone who’ll be filmed.
Almost everyone I film is nervous beforehand, and almost everyone is surprised by how natural they look in the final film. These tips help.
For interviews, you look at me, sitting just beside the lens. It feels like a conversation, because it is one.
My questions won’t be in the film. So if I ask why you started the business, begin with “I started the business because…” and the answer stands on its own.
If you stumble, pause and go again. Nothing is live, and only your best take makes the edit.
A pause before you answer is fine. The silences are cut out, and a considered answer always sounds better than a rushed one.
One specific story about a client, a patient or a moment at work does more than a list of facts. That’s what people remember.
A few bullet points in your head are plenty. If you’d rather have exact words, we can write a script together and use a teleprompter.
Most planned films are booked with two to three weeks’ notice, which gives time to agree the story and line up people and places. The shoot is usually a single day, and your quote tells you the date you’ll see a first draft before you book. Rush delivery is available when you need it faster.
Two to three weeks is standard for a planned film. For events with a fixed date, get in touch as early as you can so the date is secured.
We plan for Scottish weather, with indoor alternatives wherever possible. If a shoot can’t go ahead because of something outside both our control, such as severe weather or illness, I reschedule to the next date we’re both free at no extra day rate.
Two rounds of changes are included for each video. A round is one combined set of comments from everyone on your side, and further rounds are £250 each.
Yes. Most business videos are filmed where the work happens, whether that’s an office, clinic, workshop or venue. A tidy space, a quiet room for interviews, access to power and somewhere to park are all I need.
Everyone who can be identified on camera, including staff, clients and members of the public. Anyone under 18 needs written consent from a parent or guardian. I provide the forms and explain exactly where the footage will be used.
Send me a few lines about your organisation and what you’d like the video to do. I’ll reply personally within 24 hours, and we’ll take it from there.
Start your projectWant to know who you’d be working with? Read about me or see my prices.
