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Client email templates for video production

Eight emails carry a video job from the first inquiry to the final files: a same-day reply, the proposal, one follow-up, a welcome when they sign, the shoot week, the first cut, the approval with the final invoice, and delivery. Each one below is short, says what happens next, and has its own Copy button.

By Cutvey · Published November 2, 2026 · Updated November 2, 2026

1. Reply to a new inquiry (same day)

Subject: Your film for [COMPANY]

Hi [NAME],

Thanks for getting in touch about [PROJECT]. It sounds like a good fit, and I would love to hear more.

Could we talk for 20 minutes this week? Here is my calendar: [BOOKING LINK]. If none of those times suit, reply with two that do.

So I come prepared, it helps to know three things:
1. Where the film will be shown.
2. When you need it.
3. The budget range you have in mind. A range is fine.

Talk soon,
[YOUR NAME]
[COMPANY] · [PHONE]

2. Send the proposal

Subject: Proposal: [PROJECT]

Hi [NAME],

Thank you for the call. Here is the proposal for [PROJECT]: [LINK].

In short: [ONE SENTENCE ON THE IDEA], filmed over [DAYS] and delivered by [DATE], for [TOTAL]. The proposal also shows an optional [ADD-ON] if you would like it.

You can sign it on your phone. Signing holds the shoot date, and it is good until [DATE].

Happy to answer anything by email or on a quick call.

[YOUR NAME]

3. Follow up on the proposal (3 days later)

Subject: Re: Proposal: [PROJECT]

Hi [NAME],

Just checking the proposal reached you and made sense. Is there anything you would like changed before you share it with [DECISION MAKER]?

I am holding [SHOOT DATE] for you until [DATE].

[YOUR NAME]

4. Welcome, once they sign

Subject: We are booked: [PROJECT]

Hi [NAME],

Thank you for signing. [SHOOT DATE] is yours. Here is what happens next:

1. This week: a short questionnaire about the people and places we will film: [LINK].
2. [DATE]: I send the treatment and shot list for your notes.
3. [DATE]: the call sheet, with times and where to park.

Your retainer invoice is here: [LINK]. It is due by [DATE].

From here on, the best way to reach me is [EMAIL OR PHONE]. I am glad we are making this together.

[YOUR NAME]

5. The week before the shoot

Subject: Next [DAY]: what to expect on set

Hi [NAME],

We are nearly there. A few things for the shoot on [DATE]:

- Call time: we arrive at [TIME]. You are needed from [TIME].
- On camera: please ask [PEOPLE] to bring [WARDROBE NOTES]. Plain colors work best. No small stripes or logos.
- Releases: everyone on camera signs a short release when they arrive. It takes a minute.
- Access: [PARKING, KEYS, SECURITY, WHO TO ASK FOR].
- One decision maker on set makes the day go faster.

The call sheet with the full schedule follows the night before.

[YOUR NAME]

6. The first cut is ready

Subject: First cut: [PROJECT]

Hi [NAME],

The first cut is ready: [REVIEW LINK].

Please watch it once all the way through before you make notes, then leave your notes right on the frame. This round is about story and order, so color and sound will be finished later.

Please send everyone's notes by [DATE], and let me know who has the final say if two notes disagree. This is round one of the [TWO] included.

[YOUR NAME]

7. Approved, with the final invoice

Subject: Approved: final invoice for [PROJECT]

Hi [NAME],

Thank you for approving the final cut. The balance invoice is here: [LINK], for [AMOUNT], due [DATE].

As soon as it is paid, your download page opens with every file: [LIST OF FILES]. You will get an email the moment it does.

[YOUR NAME]

8. Delivery and a thank you

Subject: Your final files: [PROJECT]

Hi [NAME],

Your files are ready to download: [LINK]. The link works until [DATE], so please save a copy to your own drive.

What is included:
- [FILE 1, FORMAT, USE]
- [FILE 2, FORMAT, USE]
- Captions as SRT for every version.

The music is licensed for [USES]. If you want to run the film in paid ads or on TV, ask me first so we can extend the license.

It was a pleasure. If you know someone who needs a film, I would be grateful for the introduction.

[YOUR NAME]

On this page

How to use them When each email goes, and why What makes these work How Cutvey does this Frequently asked

How to use them

Pick the email for where the job is now.
Click into it and replace each [BRACKET] with the real name, date and link.
Press Copy and paste it into your email, or save it in your mail app as a template.
Keep the one next step and the date at the end. That is what gets the reply.

When each email goes, and why

Email	When	What it does
First reply	Within hours of the inquiry	Speed wins more jobs than price at this stage
Proposal	Within 24 hours of the call	Restates the idea, the date and the total in one paragraph
Follow-up	3 days later, then 7 and 14	Asks a question they can answer, and names the date you are holding
Welcome	The day they sign	Sets the next three steps and the invoice due date
Shoot week	5 to 7 days before	Wardrobe, releases and access, sorted before the day
First cut	When it is ready	Asks for one set of notes, from one decision maker
Approved	On approval	Final invoice, and what opens when it is paid
Delivered	When files are released	What is included, the license limits and a referral ask

What makes these work

Every email ends with one clear next step and a date. "Let me know your thoughts" gets you nothing for a week. "Please send everyone's notes by Thursday at noon" gets you notes on Thursday. The first-cut email also says which round this is, which keeps the revision clause friendly instead of awkward.

The follow-up asks a real question. "Is there anything you would like changed before you share it with Dana?" is easy to answer, and it tells you who else is deciding. The guide how to get video production clients shows what a faster reply and three follow-ups are worth over a year.

How Cutvey does this

In Cutvey these are saved templates with merge fields that fill in the client's name, the project, the dates and the links. Proposal follow-ups queue up on the days you choose, 3, 7 and 14 by default, and a person always presses send. Email automations can send the welcome or the delivery email on an event, and a client's reply lands in the project's conversation. Proposal follow-ups and workflows show how.

Frequently asked

Should I send emails from Gmail or from my software?

Either works. What matters is that a client's reply reaches the person on the job. Cutvey can send studio mail from your own Gmail address, send only, so replies come back to you.

How many follow-ups is too many?

Three, spaced out, each with a reason. After the third, mark the lead lost and ask what you could have done better.

Can I use these for photography?

Yes. Swap "cut" for "gallery" and "shoot day" for "session", and the order is the same.

Goes with this stage of a job: Win the work. More free paperwork on the templates page, and free tools that work in your browser.

Let the next email write itself.

Merge fields, follow-up queues and replies that land on the project. 14 days free, no card needed.

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