Welcome to the Film Division Family!

It’s fantastic that you’ve decided to work with us. To kick off the process and ensure we hit the ground running, we need to go over a few essentials. This guide will walk you through our philosophy and the journey we’re about to take together.

Disclaimer

Before we go any further, you should be aware that the following guide is based on a typical video project with us. Every client we work with is different, every problem unique and every deliverable we create is bespoke. Some of the below stages simply won’t apply in some cases and others will require more advanced steps that aren’t listed in this guide.

Steps such as audience research and targeted distribution, while common, do not apply to every video project we produce.

The below steps are the most common stages for our video projects.

How to Become Our #1 Client and Crush It

• Trust us. We want you to succeed.

• Complete all action steps quickly.

• Be coachable.

• Extreme ownership. Take responsibility.

• Be decisive. Make decisions quickly.

• Be vulnerable and open.

• Be resourceful.

• Be present

• Review everything we send you.

• Celebrate every single win.

• Ask for help when needed.

Guaranteed Ways to Make Your Project Fail

• Don’t fully watch and review all of the materials and edits we send you.

• Miss deadlines.

• Don’t speak up when you have a problem.

• Don’t give us all the data, assets and insights we need.

• Forget that this is a collaboration, not a transaction.

• Don’t come to us with a unified and agreed result that you want to achieve.

• Don’t take responsibility for your own organisations red tape.

• Go silent on us.

• Don’t respond quickly when we ask questions.

Onboarding

Terms & Conditions

Before we can get the cameras rolling, we need to handle the “legal eagle” stuff.

Please [click here] to read our full terms and conditions. Your account manager will send these to you as a document for a digital signature. We cannot proceed with your projects until we have this signed document back from you.

To summarise the key bits:

• Intellectual Property: Any individual elements created by Film Division—such as video footage, audio recordings, graphics, edits, creative writing, and concepts—remain the sole property of Film Division. You will, of course, own the final video file(s), as well as benefitting from the objective we help achieve or problem we help solve.

• Cancellations: If a filming day or the project as a whole is cancelled, fees will apply depending on the timeframe and circumstances.

• Copyright: Film Division won’t be held responsible for copyright infringement or legal action resulting from content featured in these videos as directed by you.

If you’d like to discuss any of this, we’re more than happy to have a chat!

Financial Details

To get you set up on our system, please provide the following:

• VAT Number

• Company or Charity Number

• Billing Address

• Accounts Department Contact Details (So we can chase them and not bother you!)

• New Supplier Form (if required)

• PO Number (if required)

The Deposit Invoice

Our account manager has likely mentioned this, but we require a 50% deposit fee or remittance to confirm the project and for us to begin the work. Our deposit invoice does not include expenses such as vehicle mileage (75p per mile), travel costs, crew sustenance and accommodation that we will incur in order for us to produce the project safely, efficiently, ethically and to a high standard. This is because it is impossible at this stage for us to accurately cost these factors up. We will estimate, record and charge these costs in the final balance invoice accordingly as the project moves forward. If these costs need to be factored into your budget then please let us know.

We will not beging work on your video before we have received this initial fee. It is our policy for all new clients.

Once that’s sorted, we can get on with the fun part—creating your video!

Brand Assets

To ensure the video feels like “you,” please send over your branding elements ASAP:

• Logo: RAW working file preferred. If not then a hi res vector image will be fine.

• Fonts & Colours: Brand codes (HEX/RGB) and typeface files.

• Animation Templates: If you have existing motion graphics styles.

• Identity: Your Mission, Vision, and Values statement.

You can find a full guide here and submit any brand assets you have using the form here.

Kickoff Call

This is the first call we’ll have with you when the project is given the go ahead.

In this call with all stakeholders we’ll go over:

• Deliverables
• Milestones
• Deadlines
• Information Gathering
• The Process
• Strategy
• Logistics
• Admin
• Risk Assesment

Concept Development

Diagnosis Before Prescription

You may have come to us with a self-diagnosis of the problem you have, followed by your idea for a solution. For example, the sales of your spotlight product has plateaued and the solution in your head might be an in depth product video that explains all of its features. You may be right, but it’s our responsibility to check, just in case. It may be that the problem you have is your brands values are not aligning with your target audience. Therefore we need to adjust your brand, and show your target audience that you are the right choice for them. A simple case of us listening to your problem, diagnosing it, prescribing a solution and application. You wouldn’t expect a doctor to give you medication or perform a procedure without first running somes tests would you? In the same way we wouldn’t expect to turn up at your doorstep with a camera ready to shoot without a plan that we know will solve your problem.

Video Brief

The first stage is designed to make sure we’re all on the same page. We’ll go through this in detail with you and create your video brief together. It’s great to get the ball rolling now though, so start thinking about:

• Stakeholders: Who needs to have a say? (Remember: “Too many cooks spoil the broth”!)

• Audience: Who are we talking to?

• Platform: Where and how will the video be shown?

• Deadline: When is the big launch?

• Deliverables: What formats do you need (e.g., Square for Instagram, 16:9 for YouTube)?

• Sensitivity: Does the content require a specific level of security?

• Examples: Links to videos you love help us “see” what you’re looking for!

Moving Goalposts

We understand that occasionally things change as time moves on. We fully accept this and will support these changes as best we can. Our fees, scope of work and logistics are based on the information provided to us during concept development. If details, requirements or delivery dates change, this may affect elements such as our fee, the delivery time and even the quality of the project.

Concept Development

Here things get serious! Once we’ve found the best “hook” to reach your audience, we formalise it into a working concept. A well-written concept takes that glowing light bulb over your head and makes it visible to everyone else.

Note: It is at this stage that we fully cost up the budget. If the idea for your video has blossomed into something else, there may be a shift in our fees to make it happen. It is vital that all stakeholders sign off on the concept and budget here, as changes after this point can incur additional fees.

Pre-Production

With the concept signed off, we start the “logistical dance.” We work backwards from your deadline to create a schedule and handle the “tedious but vital” bits:

• Sourcing: Crew, actors, equipment, and locations.

• Planning: Scripts, storyboards, and shot lists.

• Risk Management: We plan every detail so that on the shoot day, no one has to “think”—they just follow the plan. Without this, your ROI is left to chance!

Here’s a useful checklist to make sure you’re ready for the big day!

Production

Finally, it’s time to film! This is where the work pays off. Whether in a studio or on location, we ensure every shot enhances your message. On a typical shoot, you’ll meet our specialists:

• Producer: Manages logistics and keeps us on schedule.

• Director: Oversees the vision, story, and directs any talent.

• Camera Operator: Acts as the DoP (Director of Photography), handling much more than just the “record” button.

• Assistant: The unsung hero. They handle lens changes, focus pulling, and battery swaps, freeing up the lead crew to focus entirely on the craft.

Post-Production

This is where the video edit is truly constructed. We work through three recognisable phases:

1. Narrative Draft

We focus purely on the message. We select the best clips to bring the story to life. We’ll send you a private link for feedback. Here’s a handy guide on how to give us useful feedback rather than negative comments.

• Stakeholder Sign-off: It is vital everyone reviews this draft. We don’t colour grade or mix sound until this “message” is locked.

• Leaving Comments: Reviewing is primarily carried out on the Vimeo video hosting platform. Here’s a guide on how the commenting feature works.

We’ve also created our own guide to help you below.

2. Context Draft

Now we add the tone and style. You’ll see the visuals match the message and show your organisation in its best light. Major changes after this stage will incur additional costs.

3. Final Review & Approval (Final Draft)

Everything is polished. We add:

• Captions & Subtitles

• Motion Graphics

• Social Media Edits

• Cinematic Colour Grade & Sound Mix Any further changes here, no matter how small, will incur costs.

With their being plenty of approval stages within our process so that we are all on the same page, if there are any further changes after this stage then we’ll switch to an hourly rate so each iteration stays focused.

Balance Invoice

The final remaining 50% invoice is sent here. The balance fee may reflect an increase or decrease of production fees. Any savings in time spent on the project will reduce the balance invoice and any increase due to changes of project details, dates and additional amendments to the original video brief will be added. The balance invoice will also reflect any expenses incurred.

We cannot deliver your assets until all remaining fees have settled or remitted.

Final Delivery

Upon final approval and all remaining fees have been settled or remitted, we deliver your video(s) in the ideal file types for it’s intended platform. You’ll also be sent the subtitle files separately so that these can be turned on and off in the video player at your audience’s discretion.

We cannot deliver your assets until all remaining fees have been settled or remitted.

Raw Footage

The rushes from your project are our interllectual property. These are the bricks, the mortar and the plaster used to create a tool that solves your problem. If you want to use them yourself in-house, then we will agree a fee for you to purchase these assets from us.

Note: The footage will likley be uncompressed, straight from the camera with no colour grading or audio tweaking applied. So make sur eyou have the expertise and the hardware to handle this in house before making your investment.

Project Review

We wrap up with an internal review and a public review to celebrate the results!

Our Philosophy: Process meets Flexibility

Following this roadmap ensures consistency and quality control. It identifies risks early and keeps you updated. However, we don’t stick to it too rigidly. We leave room for creative flexibility, spontaneous inspiration, and technological shifts.

Balancing this structured process with creative adaptability is how we ensure your final video isn’t just “good,” but innovative and impactful.

Any questions? Just give us a shout!