A videography client questionnaireto send before you quote.
“Could we also get a vertical version for Instagram?”
Most changes to a video job are questions nobody asked at the start: where the film will play, who has the final say, whether it needs captions or a vertical cut. This questionnaire asks them before the quote, so the quote holds.
Who you’re talking to, who else is involved, and the date that can’t move. If a launch or an event sits behind the deadline, you want to know now.
The video
What it’s for, who watches it and how long it runs. The answer to “what should someone do after watching?” is the brief in one line.
Where it will play
Website, social, an event screen, broadcast. This decides shapes, cutdowns, captions and the music license, the four things most often added after a quote.
Story and style
Films they like and why, the one message, and whether there’s a script, interviews or a voiceover. References save a round of changes.
The shoot
Dates, locations, permits, and who’s on camera. Everyone on camera needs a release, so count them here.
Review and approval
Who leaves notes, who approves, and how fast they answer. Two people giving opposite notes is how a round runs over.
Delivery and budget
Formats, raw footage, stills from the shoot, and a budget range. A range lets you shape the job instead of guessing.
The template.
Everything in brackets is yours to fill in. The Word file has the same words, ready to change.
Video Project Questionnaire
Thank you for thinking of [Studio name] for your video. These questions help us understand what you need before we put a quote together. Answer what you can, skip what you don’t know yet, and we’ll talk through the rest.
1. About you
Your name, company and role:
The best email and phone number to reach you:
Who else will be involved in the project, and what is their role?
Is there a date the finished video must be ready by? What is it tied to?
2. The video
What is the video for? What should someone do or feel after watching it?
Who is the audience?
Roughly how long should it be?
Do you need more than one version, such as a short cut, a teaser or clips for social media?
3. Where it will play
Where will people watch it: your website, social media, an event screen, TV or paid ads?
Which shapes do you need: wide (16:9), vertical (9:16), square or 4:5?
Do you need captions or subtitles? In which languages?
4. Story and style
Share two or three videos you like, with a line on what you like about each.
What is the one message the video must get across?
Will there be a script, interviews, a voiceover, or a mix?
Do you have music in mind? Will it need to be licensed for ads or broadcast?
Do you have brand guidelines, logos or fonts we should use?
5. The shoot
Preferred shoot dates, and any dates that are not possible:
Where will we film? Do any locations need permission or a permit?
Who will appear on camera? Will anyone under 18 appear?
Would you like aerial (drone) footage?
6. Review and approval
Who will review the cuts and leave notes?
Who gives the final approval?
How quickly can your team usually send notes on a cut?
Does anyone else need to approve it, such as a legal team or your own client?
7. Delivery
Which files do you need, for example an MP4 for the web or a high-quality master?
Would you like the raw footage? If so, what will you use it for?
The answers map onto how the job runs in DropYourFiles, so you can set the project up as you read them.
1Everyone in section 6 gets the link
They leave notes at the moment in the film they mean, with no account, and each note carries their name.
2Whoever approves presses Approve
Approval records the name and the time on the link your client reviewed, and the full-quality files are ready on that same link.
3Section 3 sets the downloads
Your client downloads the original master, or a 1080p or 720p copy (and 4K when the master is 4K), so the web team and the broadcast team pull what they need from one place.
4Stills go in the same project
If section 7 asks for photos, they sit beside the film in a folder of their own, on the same link.
What should I ask a videography client before quoting?
What the video is for, where it will play, how long it runs, how many versions they need, who approves it, and the budget. Where it plays matters most: it decides shapes, captions and music licensing.
Should my client fill it in, or should we talk it through?
Both work. Send it ahead and use the answers to run a short call. Blank answers are useful too: they show what your client hasn’t decided yet.
What questions should a client ask a videographer?
How many rounds of changes are included, what approval means, who owns the footage, whether raw footage is part of the deal, and how the finished files arrive. The videography contract template answers each of those in writing.
Can I send it as a PDF?
Yes. Download the PDF to print or attach, or the Word file to change the questions, add your logo or turn it into an online form.