Video jobs spread their costs across weeks and people in a way that clients rarely see. The shoot day is the visible part. Behind it sit the location scout, the call sheet, the sound recordist, two lenses rented for the interview setup, a day of logging footage, the color pass, the music license and the third round of edits after the marketing lead's boss watched the cut. A videography invoice that says "Brand video — balance" hides all of it.
This template follows the three phases every video project has, and lists crew, kit and licensing separately so the client can see where the budget went.
TL;DR
The videography invoice template bills pre-production, shoot days, crew, equipment, editing, color, sound mix, music and stock licensing, and extra revision rounds, then credits the deposit and adds a [TAX RATE]% placeholder. Send the balance invoice when the final cut is approved. The practice that saves the most arguments is listing the music license with its tier, because web-only licenses often need upgrading for paid ads.
What's inside
- Project block — production name, shoot dates, deliverables (lengths, aspect ratios).
- Pre-production — creative treatment, script or interview questions, scouting, call sheet.
- Production — shoot days for director or shooter, crew lines, overtime.
- Equipment — owned kit fees and rentals, itemized.
- Post-production — edit days, color grading, sound mix, motion graphics, captions.
- Licensing — music, stock footage, fonts, each with tier and term.
- Revisions and extras — included rounds, extra rounds, extra cut-downs, raw footage.
- Totals and terms — deposit credited, balance, delivery on payment.
When to use it
Use it for brand films, social cut-downs, interviews and testimonials, event coverage, training videos and music videos. It suits a solo shooter-editor and a small crew where you are the production company billing the client.
For weddings, most videographers sell packages and a videography contract sets the payment schedule. If the project is still being scoped, send a video production proposal first.
Line items video clients query most
Shoot day length. A ten-hour day is a common industry standard for a shoot day, with overtime beyond it. State the length and bill overtime by the hour, with the approving person named.
Crew. Sound recordist, gaffer, second camera, producer. Each gets its own line and day rate. Clients often assume one person turned up.
Kit. Separate owned equipment fees from rentals. For rentals, name the item and the rental house; for owned kit, a flat package fee per day is usual.
Edit days. Editing usually takes much longer than shooting. Typical ratios range from one to three days of post per shoot day for simple pieces, more for multi-camera or motion-heavy work. Billing edit days as a line makes that visible.
Revisions. Two rounds on the edit is common. A third round is an extra. A new script, new interviewees or a new music direction is a change order, priced separately.
Licensing. Music libraries price by use: personal, web, paid social, broadcast. Name the track, the library and the tier. Same for stock clips.
Deliverables. A 90-second hero edit plus three 15-second vertical cut-downs and captions is four or more deliverables. List each.
Releasing the final files
Most videographers share a watermarked or low-resolution review link and release masters when the balance clears. Say so on the invoice. Raw footage is a separate question: if it is not included, offer it as a line item with the transfer cost and storage. The video brief is where these expectations should first be agreed.
Customize it in your COLO workspace
In COLO you can create an invoice with line items for each phase, apply tax rates and discounts, record the pre-shoot deposit as a partial payment and email the invoice or download a PDF. Clients can pay by card through Stripe or by PayPal from the client portal. See Invoicing and Payments.
Expenses such as rentals, crew payments and licenses can be recorded with a category, receipt and link to the project, and edit feedback can sit in project chat with the client so revision requests are dated.
Common mistakes
- Bundling crew into your day rate. The client cannot see why the number is higher than they expected.
- No license tier on music. The client runs the video as a paid ad and the license no longer covers it.
- Unlimited revisions by default. State the included rounds on the invoice.
- Releasing masters before payment. Send review links until the balance clears.
- Forgetting deliverable variants. Each aspect ratio and cut-down takes time.
FAQ
Q: How do videographers usually bill a project?
Many split it into pre-production, production (shoot days) and post-production, with a deposit before the shoot and the balance on delivery of the final cut.
Q: Should music licensing be on my invoice?
Yes, as its own line naming the track, the library and the license tier. Some licenses cover web only and need upgrading for broadcast or paid ads.
Q: How many edit revisions should be included?
Two rounds of revisions on the edit is a common default. Bill extra rounds as separate lines with the date requested, and treat a new creative direction as a change order.
Q: Do I charge for gear I own?
Many videographers charge an equipment fee for their own kit, at a day rate below rental-house prices. It reflects real wear and replacement cost.
Q: How do I bill raw footage?
If the contract does not include raw files, offer them as an optional line, priced for the time to organize, label and transfer them, plus any storage drive.
Related
More for video professionals on the videographers page.