Contract/Agreement

Hi and welcome to indietalk

(and also thanks for letting me know I installed the banner links at 1000dollarfilm correctly! LOL)

In my experience as a freelancer, I've never had a contract for a job, just an email agreeing my rate for the job and delivery terms. Then I write an invoice for the job, which I send to the client as agreed.

A couple of points I learned the hard way:

I've made it a habit of getting some kind of deposit from clients (50% is my standard term) at the start of the job and then the remainder on delivery. Most clients will go for this and it ensures that I never get stuck for more than half the debt, if it goes bad. I also figure any client who can't or won't pony up half is a bad debt waiting to happen.

In terms of invoice management, I write on the invoice how much credit time they get (between 14 and 30 days) I also include the due date. As the payment falls due, I send a reminder that the payment is due in four days and for them to contact me if there likely to be any hold ups.

If the payment gets seriously late (two weeks over due date) I make a personal phone call to chase the debt and get them to agree a payment date. If they miss that, the next stage is a personal visit.

The trick with debt collection is to never lose your temper, to know the person who issues the checks personally (first name terms is good)... and when you turn up on the doorstep to wear mirrored sun glasses (LOL)

Thanks Clive!

I'm reworking the terms on my invoices right now to include these things. Should terms for how I should be credited on the job be on the invoice as well? Since my business is being contracted by another?

I'll definitely remember the mirrored sunglasses when chasing debts! hehehehehe

I'll take this opportunity to say thank you for 1000dollarfilm.com! I shot a feature last year as my major project for college and did it for about $1000 Australian, using advice from your site for the planning, scriptwriting, and shoot.

Ramoniac

Any arrangements about credits should be written in the email where you set out your terms and conditions.

If you get a verbal agreement, so at a meeting a client says "We'd like you to take the editor credit" then follow up the conversation with an email that says "Just wanted to confirm what we agreed at the meeting, that I'd credited as Editor on your upcoming project 'Dingo's Picnic'."

I do this with any "off record" communications and it's a standard industry method for establishing a paper trail.

Congrats on the $1000 Aus$ film... I don't know what to say. I'm happy that I was able to help.