On this page
How to fill it in
- Replace everything in [BRACKETS] with your company, the client and the dates.
- Rewrite The project in two or three sentences about the client's business. It is the paragraph they read most closely.
- List what is included by phase, then list what is not, so nothing is assumed.
- Put your prices into the Investment lines, and add one optional add-on.
- Set the payment schedule and say whether the first payment is refundable.
- Fill in the timeline, including how fast the client returns notes.
- Copy, download or print it, and send it within a day of your call.
What each section does
| Section | What it answers | The line that saves you later |
|---|---|---|
| The project | Why the client is spending the money | "Success is..." gives you a yardstick at approval |
| What is included | Exactly what they get | A "not included" list stops scope creep before it starts |
| Investment | What it costs, in parts | An optional add-on lets them say yes to more |
| Payment schedule | When money moves | "Not refundable once the date is held" |
| Timeline | When each thing happens, including their notes | "Your notes within 5 business days" |
| Terms | Usage, weather, rescheduling | Usage limited to what they bought |
| Acceptance | That it is a deal | A signature on the proposal itself |
The sample, worked through
The sample prices a one-day brand film with a crew of three and four days of post. The four lines add to $13,300. They come from a cost budget of about $10,500 with a 10% contingency and a 15% production fee on top, and you can see that budget line by line on the production budget template.
The client sees four lines, which is enough to show the shape of the price without inviting a haggle over the gaffer's day rate. If a client asks for the detail, the budget is ready.
The payment schedule is 50% on signing and 50% on approval, before delivery. For a job over about $25,000, a three-part schedule is common: 50% on signing, 25% before the shoot and 25% on approval. The proposal guide has a table of schedules by job size.
Five mistakes that cost jobs
- Sending it a week later. Send within 24 hours of the call, while they still remember how excited they were.
- One mystery number. A single total invites "can you do it for less?" Four lines invite "can we add the drone?"
- No "not included" list. Every scope argument is a sentence you did not write here.
- No expiry date. Your calendar changes. Fourteen days is usual.
- A PDF they have to print and sign. A proposal they can sign on a phone at 9 PM closes faster.
How Cutvey does this
In Cutvey the proposal is the contract. You build it from a starter for brand films, weddings, commercials and other kinds of work, or from your own template, with up to four packages, optional add-ons and two or three payment plans for the client to choose from. The client signs on their phone, and the deposit invoice is raised the moment they sign. The project opens with the scope already in it. Video proposal software has the detail, and how proposals work walks through one.
Frequently asked
How long should a video proposal be?
Two to four pages. Long enough to answer every question about scope and money, and short enough that the decision maker reads it all.
Should I show my day rates?
Show phases with prices. Day rates invite line-by-line bargaining, and a client is buying a film. Keep the cost budget for yourself, and share it if a client's procurement team asks for it.
Is a proposal a contract?
Once both sides sign it and it names the price, scope and terms, it can be. Many studios attach a fuller agreement, like the contract template, and have the client sign both at once. Ask a lawyer where you work.
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.