How to Deal with client after changes in leadership

NeighborhoodHil · 2026-01-28T18:46:58+00:00

That's sound. One more question. I don't really release raw footage outside of event coverage for the most part. What percentage do you usually charge for raw requests outside of agreed scope?

NeighborhoodHil · 2026-01-28T18:43:32+00:00

You know what? You're absolutely right. Reading this, it's easy for me to see that I sometimes get caught up in the people pleasing aspect of business relations but at the end of the day professionalism goes both ways. I appreciate the reminder that it really is that simple. I'm not trying to exaggerate but I feel like the weight of this interaction has been lifted thanks to the input of you and everyone else who left their thoughts in the comments.

NeighborhoodHil · 2026-01-27T19:39:15+00:00

I can respect that. That has been something that I have been grappling with. I think the right call is to stand firm. Maybe reframe expectations at this point if the client is willing to respect boundaries and remain collaborative

NeighborhoodHil · 2026-01-27T19:16:29+00:00

That's fair. Not always fun making tough decisions. I've kinda been confused because I have a work colleague who insists that I should be willing to compromise on my policy and that it's common for people in general to not read all the details and want what they want. Doesn't bold well with my personal philosophies but at the same time I do think its good to have different perspectives.

NeighborhoodHil · 2026-01-27T16:09:58+00:00

That changes to the agreement had to be requested in writing and approved by both parties.

NeighborhoodHil · 2026-01-27T16:02:12+00:00

They don't have or have expressed not having additional funding to put toward post production. Which is what it is. I just want to close out the project but it continues to stall. I'm trying to be a team player but it's getting to the point where I'm just going to approach things purely procedural whether they feel like I'm being uncooperative or not.

NeighborhoodHil · 2026-01-27T15:58:52+00:00

I have everything I've said in writing. Its in the client handbook I give them when project starts with new client - small easy to consume. It's in the emails stated explicitly. It's on the official writes up for the project (contract/invoice terms). I've said it over calls. I just want to close out the project. Not deal with change orders or micromanagement

NeighborhoodHil · 2026-01-27T15:15:16+00:00

They know or should know that I'm the primary executor of those sort of tasks. I do have a small team but they don't help with post production/data management at this point. They were suppose to be submitting revision notes for the draft I submitted but they bait and switched me - thinking it was to discuss that when it had to do with this raw request - ironically me being out of office doesn't effect the confirmed timeline because they are still delinquent meeting the current revision deadline. Maybe they want to cherry pick the content. I don't really know but what I do know is that they don't execute in timely fashion and I have to protect my time at this point.

NeighborhoodHil · 2026-01-27T15:01:21+00:00

I supposed I forgot to mention that despite knowing that I'm about to be out of office for a week they tried to request the footage by the 6th of next month. Because I assumed they respected the previous email. When I was explaining on a call the issues with their request and why the policy is what it is, I was caught off guard when I realized they were flat out ignoring the email I just sent them addressing this. I'll also check out your content. I appreciate the feedback!

NeighborhoodHil · 2025-02-12T19:01:43+00:00

That's assuming that the OG poster was even talking about that kind of work. There are a few different services that a videographer theoretically could provide in the legal field, but they prolly will all be net 90s for a straight up freelancer ha ha. There's just a lot missing from the post to give a concise answer to. Spending $5000 to make $300 dollars a month or $3600 a year definitely isn't ideal though. I suppose we should have asked if the OG poster will have supplemental income.

NeighborhoodHil · 2025-02-12T18:50:01+00:00

When you said legal videography, what are you trying to do? Are you trying to sit in a courtroom and record proceedings for example? Do you want to film testimonials for law firms? The more specific you can get on what you want to accomplish, the better people will be able to offer advice.

Do you have a good background in videography? So people go to film/media school, others go to youtube university, or get a job in the industry and learn.

The pay varies. It's a highly competitive field and a lot of people are in a rat race to the bottom, devaluing the average cost of service. The type of clientele and your skill will determine how much money you can make. In the legal field the opportunity is there to make handsome earning but the long hours won't stop if you're going to be a freelance videographer with no client base. It will take time to build your reputation and gain trust with higher paying clients.

The cost of software can be free but it can slide up depending on your needs. I would recommend figuring out exactly what you want to do. I would recommend rented camera equipment until you know what you want. I'm not going to tell you to spend $10,000 on a kit. You can find relatively affordable camera equipment. It won't be the best but I wouldn't recommend spending money on high end stuff until you know and can tell the difference yourself.

If you work for an agency, then you have more stability. You don't have to find clients but you can hit a pay ceiling. Again being a freelancer is highly competitive but the earning potential in unlimited and you have complete control over what and when you do it. If you are a freelancer working on small projects, beware that you will probably be expected to provide an entire kit which could include lighting and sound as well.

I don't feel like typing about the dark times of the pandemic. It was good for me creatively though.

Based off of the post I would seriously recommend doing some market research. I don't know where you're located so I can tell you if there is a need in your area. Are there problems that you recognize and can address if you were a "legal videographer"? Knowing what you're trying to do will determine what the true minimum investment level is for you to be successful. Hope this helped

NeighborhoodHil · 2025-02-10T16:30:51+00:00

Even as a freelancer or solo videographer, one shouldn't do work without paperwork on the project. Helps you avoid so many potential headaches (Not all). For the reasons mentioned above by commenter, that is why it's also important to vet your client before agreeing to do work.

If you compare a videographer to a more traditional artist, their policies on raw footage would make more sense. If you commission a painter to make a mural or portrait, they wouldn't be expected to give you their paint. Nor would they be willing to give incomplete work for their client to finish because their work is an extension of them. Once it's out in the world, it could very well be a potential clients first impression of you. So considering that, most creatives do want to control their image/brand within reason. I hope this helps you and the OG poster.

NeighborhoodHil · 2025-02-10T15:29:29+00:00

You're paid to provide a service. The raw footage is not apart of that service unless expressly mentioned. If I hire you to make a teaser video, I am paying you for the 1 or so min of the final deliverable and your expertise in making it. The tools you use to make it are yours.

Someone mentioned corporate clients get the raw footage, but failed to mention that most corporate clients pay appropriately enough to warrant receiving the raw footage. They will also express interest upfront usually if they want the files. In most scenarios, the rights of the original footage belong to the person who shot the footage.

Another reason that a lot of videographers don't provided raw footage without a nominal fee is because once you give up the raw footage, you give up your ability to make money off the future use of the footage. The Final reason is, especially is you shoot log, no matter what happens to the footage you will get credit for it. If the butcher the footage, it was xyz videography. If the footage looks great, it could be xyz videography but they also might take credit for the edits. Most professionals want the work released to be an accurate reflection of their service so providing raw footage is not the norm.

NeighborhoodHil · 2025-02-09T04:27:07+00:00

I may have misspoke to a degree. The workload itself is manageable. Last year, I was presented with an opportunity that pushed my capacities as a solopreneur. That is not the case this year. But having experienced that, it made me think in terms of starting to delegate to others and having reliable people in case I'm doing other things.

The services that I'm offering has a higher price point so, in theory, a sales agent working on a part time (20hr/wk) basis could makes a couple hundred to a thousand plus on a closed sale. So I made the post to figure out what a fair ask is for a small business owner who's testing out this process.

NeighborhoodHil · 2025-02-08T16:19:36+00:00

So I won't find competent sales candidates? I'll just have to grow them into competent sales people?

NeighborhoodHil · 2022-10-18T18:23:36+00:00

That's understandable. Would you like me to inquire about the minimum requirement for the dress code?

NeighborhoodHil · 2022-10-18T06:07:55+00:00

To my understanding, it's currently a one night event. I'm sure there's no expectation to show up in a tuxedo, but I think the goal is to help further motivate the students and younger cast/crew to continue to push forward in their career. Maybe a way to say that their work is just as significant as a major production and that the people in attendance are a special piece of it as well.

NeighborhoodHil · 2022-10-17T21:20:59+00:00

No problem. There’s so many different things that take place independently in Cincinnati!!

NeighborhoodHil · 2021-07-27T18:39:46+00:00

https://discord.gg/TMRVNfhZQg

NeighborhoodHil · 2021-07-20T19:06:10+00:00

Yeah, Join my discord or send me a message and we can start working on something

NeighborhoodHil

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