7 Essentials Every Freelance Videographer Needs in a Freelance Videographer Contract Template

Are you freelancing as a videographer? I'm telling you precisely what you must have in your freelance videographer contract template.

Pursuing your passion as a videographer is so exciting, but if you're anything like me, you want to ensure you, as a freelancer videographer, are protected, so you can keep doing what you love for your clients and get paid on time. As a lawyer myself who drafts (freelance) videography contracts for videographers like you, I am giving you all the crucial elements you need in your freelance videographer contract template.

You will learn about the essential terms your freelance videographer contract template must have, which you can use in your template (even if you are grabbing a simple videography contract or free videography contract template online or a videography contract pdf from Google).

After learning all about everything you need for your freelance videographer contract template, you will be able to protect your creativity, your energy and your money!

This post is all about the fundamental terms your freelance videographer contract template must have to protect your rights and yourself.

Essential Freelance Videographer Contract Template

Simple videography contract essentials

In this blog post, I'm discussing the essentials a videography contract must have for freelance photographers. So, I'm talking about a freelance agreement, where you are hired as a freelancer to provide work on an hourly or fixed fee basis. This is more of a long-term relationship.

I am not talking about videographers with a videography business who provide their services on a project basis, where the videographer is hired to do a specific project for a client. That client may be a returning client or not, but the contractual relationship is just for the specific project.

If you are a videographer who owns a videography business and works on a project basis, then this blog post is not for you. Instead, read this blog post on the 7 Must-Haves for Every Videographer Contract Template.

Now, let's get into the essentials a freelance videographer needs for his/her/their freelance videographer contract template.

1. Scope of work

The first essential element of your freelance videographer contract template should be a detailed description of the scope of work. This section should include the specific services you will provide, such as the specific filming styles, editing, adding subtitles, adding special effects, adding audio or music, etc. and any other details of the services you provide to your client. Also include whether you provide for revisions, which is usually the case if you provide videography services on a freelance basis.

You need to be as specific as possible to avoid any confusion or misunderstandings (and eventually disputes) with your client down the line.

2. Delivery and timelines

Next, your freelance videographer contract template should include details about the delivery process for each service you deliver and the timelines. If you provide for revisions, also ensure you include the revision process, as well as the timelines for revisions. 

Be sure to outline how the final product will be delivered (e.g. via email, FTP, or cloud storage). When using a free videography contract template or a simple videography contract from the internet, make sure this part is included because I often see that this part is not included. You can't have your client expect you to buy licenses to software that suits your client. And, if the client requires you to use specific software, you might want your client to pay for it, which we'll get into in the next section.

If you are working on a freelance basis for several different clients, you may have specific days and time blocks that you can allocate to each client. For example, you may work for Client A on Tuesdays from 9 am to 5 pm and for Client B on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1 pm to 7 pm. In that case, it is crucial that you include in your videography contract pdf which days and time blocks you are available to your client. You must set those boundaries in writing in your contract because otherwise, I can assure you that your clients will not respect those boundaries and even become annoyed when you don't want to make those revisions on the day they ask you to when it's not a day allocated to them.

3. Payment terms

The payment terms are arguably the most crucial element of any freelance videographer contract template. 

As a freelance videographer, there are multiple ways in which you can get paid. For example, you could get paid hourly (e.g., $50 per hour).

You could also get paid a fixed fee if you work a set number of hours per week or month.

Be sure to include the payment schedule. If you work on an hourly basis, you need to specify when you send your invoices to your clients and within how many days the invoice must be paid. You might still want a retainer for a specific number of hours that are paid in advance. 

If you work on a fixed fee basis, you have to determine in your freelance videographer contract template whether you get paid the total amount in advance (and if so, when exactly) or afterwards within a certain number of days after the invoice is sent. You might want a hybrid structure where you get paid a part in advance and the other parts after each milestone (e.g. 25% upfront, 10% after milestone 1, 25% after milestone 2, and 40% upon completion). 

Always include late payment fees and ensure you comply with applicable laws (otherwise, those late payment fees may be considered null and void by the court). 

Also, include details about the payment method in your freelance videographer contract template, such as whether you accept credit cards or PayPal and who carries the transfer costs.

Speaking of costs, you also want to outline any costs your client must cover in your videography contract, such as costs of software you must use and travel costs. Where possible, specify the costs per expense.

4. Intellectual property

As a freelance videographer, it's essential to protect your intellectual property. Your contract should include language that outlines who owns the rights to the final product as well as any raw footage or other materials you create for your clients. Be sure to specify in your freelance videographer contract template whether you retain ownership or if the rights are transferred to the client upon completion.

In the case of freelance work, the ownership of the videos is often transferred to the client. In that case, ensure you clearly stipulate in your videography contract pdf that you are still free to use the methods and styles you used for your own use and other clients as well. Also, ensure you can use the final product for your own portfolio and promotion and advertising purposes of your own business. 

5. Confidentiality and non-disclosure

This part is usually skimmed over because every contract needs confidentiality and non-disclosure provisions, but you need to pay attention to this section in your freelance videographer contract template.

If whatever you are filming involves sensitive or proprietary information, then, of course, your client wants you to keep that a secret, so it's definitely beneficial to your client. 

But, as a freelance videographer, you also want to ensure that your client does not hurt you by sharing the methods you have used with third parties. So ensure that your confidentiality provisions cover that too. 

Also, ensure to specifically include that any payments under the agreement may not be shared with third parties either. You don't want your other clients, who may be paying more, to find out and ask you to lower your price.

6. Termination and cancellation

Even with the best intentions, sometimes filming and your client relationships don't go as planned. Your freelance videographer contract template should include language that outlines how either party can terminate the agreement and what happens in the event of cancellation.

Ensure to include language that excludes or limits your client's rights to refunds or other compensation due to premature termination of the freelance videography contract.

7. Liability and indemnification

Finally, your freelance videographer contract template should include language that outlines liability and indemnification. This means that you'll be held harmless by your client in the event of any legal action that arises from the work you have produced. Your contract should limit and exclude as far as possible your liability for any damages to your client or any third parties. 

In addition, your freelance videographer contract template should include indemnities for any damages and costs due to, for example, songs or audio used in the video that infringe the intellectual property rights of third parties. 

Another crucial indemnity to have in your videography contract pdf is an indemnity for infringements of the intellectual property rights and privacy or publicity rights of third parties filmed by you.

In conclusion, a well-written freelance videographer contract template is essential to protect you as a freelance videographer and should ensure that you get paid for your work. By including the essential elements outlined above, you'll be well on your way to creating a solid contract template that you can adapt to any client. 

Videography contract pdf

Are you in need of a freelance videographer contract template? I draft reusable freelance agreements for videographer like you! My template includes all the crucial elements I discussed in the blog post (and more) for your videography gigs. 

You can get your freelance videographer contract template on this page of my contract shop!

Free videography contract template

If you don't want to purchase a freelance videographer contract template and would rather grab a photography and videography contract pdf from Google or a free videography contract template online; you can use the overview in this blog post to ensure that your free template includes all the essentials so you have the rights and protections you need as a freelance videographer!

This post was all about the crucial elements every freelance videographer contract template must have for freelance videographers.

Get the freelance videographer contract template that includes all the essentials (and more) on this page of my contract shop!

If you own a videography business and produce videos on a project basis, read this blog post on the 7 Must-Haves for Every Videographer Contract Template.

If you own a videography business and produce videos on a project basis, then you need my videography agreement template, which you can get on this page of my contract shop.