On this page
How to use it
- Number the change order and name the original agreement it changes.
- Write what changes in plain words, and why.
- Price each part, then show the original fee, earlier changes and the new total.
- Say how and when the change is paid, and how the schedule moves.
- Have the client sign before the work starts.
When a request needs a change order
Not every request does. Use the agreement as the test: if it is in the scope and the included rounds, do it. If it is new work, it is a change order, and the sooner you send it the easier it is to say.
| The request | Change order? |
|---|---|
| Swap one interview answer for another, during round 1 | No. That is a revision |
| A third round of notes on a two-round job | Yes, or bill the extra round at your stated rate |
| Another location or shoot day | Yes |
| A new version: vertical, 15 seconds, a different language | Yes |
| Running the film on TV or in paid ads | Yes, for the music and usage extension |
| Moving the shoot with less notice than the agreement allows | Yes, for the committed costs |
The sample, worked through
The client opened a second office after signing and wants it in the film. That is a half day with the same crew, priced from the original day's $5,300 at half plus a little for the company move, so $2,650, a fourth cutdown at the same $250 as the others, and $90 of travel and parking. The change is $2,990, and the new fee is $16,290. Half is paid on signing the change, and half with the final invoice. The first cut moves back by the days the new shoot adds.
Showing the original fee and the new total on the same page matters. Three small changes over a month add up, and a client who sees $13,300 become $16,290 in writing will not be surprised by the final invoice.
How to say it to the client
"Happy to add the Bayview office. It is a half day with the same crew, so the change is $2,990 and the first cut moves to the 14th. I have sent the change order, and we can book the day as soon as it is signed."
Price and date in one breath, no apology, and the next step. The guide how many revision rounds has more wording for the moment a note becomes new work.
How Cutvey does this
In Cutvey a change order has its own client link, the client signs it like the proposal, and its amount is taxed at the project's region. Signing raises its invoice, and the project's contract value goes up by it, so the money page and the final invoice already know. Voiding that invoice lowers the contract value again. An extra review round past the contract makes a draft invoice for you to send, unless you choose otherwise. Deliver and get paid shows the money side.
Frequently asked
Can I start the work before it is signed?
You can, but then the change order is a request for payment, and those get argued. Get the signature first, even by email reply.
Should I charge for small changes?
Decide a threshold and say it in the agreement. Many studios do small changes free inside a round and send a change order for anything new.
Goes with this stage of a job: Review and approve. More free paperwork on the templates page, and free tools that work in your browser.