Video pricing confuses clients because the shoot is the visible half and the edit is the expensive half. This invoice separates them — day rate for production, hourly for post — plus the two lines that prevent disputes: licensed music, and named deliverables with cutdowns.
Solo-operator day rates commonly run $600–1,500 US; post at $50–125/hr. The revision policy sits in the notes because “can we try one more version” is the videography scope-creep vector, and two included rounds is the professional norm.
Deliverables, not "a video"
Name every output: master aspect and length, cutdowns, captions files, thumbnails. “16:9 master + 2 verticals” is a scope; “the video” is an argument waiting for the client’s social manager. Extra cutdowns after delivery are new lines at a stated per-cutdown price.
State the archive window (“masters archived 12 months”) — storage is real cost, and the line converts into paid archival or re-delivery fees later instead of an awkward favor.
Music, usage and raw footage
Music licensing passes through at cost as its own line — it shows the client why the edit can’t just use their favorite song, and it keeps sync liability priced. For branded content, the usage line (scope, term, territory) is the difference between a $2k internal video and a $10k ad — price it deliberately.
Raw footage is a buyout, not a courtesy: it surrenders your edit and future licensing. Quote it separately when asked, as the terms line here states.
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Frequently asked questions
Day rate or project rate for video?
Both: production bills by the day (half-day minimums are standard), post by the hour or a fixed edit fee per deliverable. Project quotes work when scope is locked — build them from these same components.
How many revision rounds are normal?
Two rounds on the edit, stated on the invoice; additional rounds at your post rate. Round definitions matter — one consolidated list of changes is a round, a drip of emails is several.
Who pays for licensed music?
The client, as a pass-through line at documented cost. Library subscriptions you already hold can be billed as a small per-project license line — either way, the invoice shows the music is licensed.
Is videography taxable?
Similar to photography: several US states tax delivered video products or digital goods while pure services may be exempt; VAT/GST applies where registered. Itemized production/post/deliverable lines make the correct treatment straightforward.