How to Handle Out-of-Scope Film Client Requests (Without Losing Time or Money)

Every filmmaker knows the drill: You deliver the cut, then the client asks for "just one more" edit, revision, or unplanned change. No biggie. But as soon as you hit ‘send’, another request appears. "Scope creep" is the slow addition of edits and extras that fall outside of the original agreement. Given time, it kills profitability—but saying "no" risks the relationship and possibly your reputation.

The Problem.

The phrase, "The customer is always right", doesn't take into account when multiple parties are involved in a decision. Larger clients may have boards, partners or legal departments that all want their voices heard and often don't look at the project until far into the process. Things can also change quickly, like the time we filmed a series of interviews and only after the second round of edits were we told one of the intervewees had quit and needed to be removed. Or the time a company changed its logo and insisted we update the video we'd made months after the check had cleared.

The Fix.

Contracts are your first line of defense against Scope Creep.

A bulletproof contract defines deliverables, revisions, and fees for extra work.

On top of time to deliver, you can state limits such as: "Includes 2 rounds of revisions; additional edits billed at $X/hour." This sets up healthy boundaries and helps all parties see the end of the project clearly.

1. How to Respond to Extra Requests

• Politely redirect: "Per our agreement, we’ve completed the included revisions. Further changes require a new contract."

• Upsell, don’t undersell: "We can implement these updates for a flat fee of $X—let me send the addendum."

• Stand firm (when needed): If the demand is unreasonable, defer to the contract.

2. Stop Scope Creep Before It Starts

• Be flexible to a point: Detail what is expected of you and what will be required of them (e.g., "1x 60-second video, 2x15-second videos, 2 revisions") in writing. All equipment should be agreed upon beforehand. Clients shouldn't be asking, "Can we insert drone footage?" if such a thing was never discussed or agreed upon.

• Charge for changes: Build a rate card or have quick answers for common, out-of-scope asks such as rush-edits, Extra B-Roll, subtitles, foreign language dubs, etc.

• Have an "early-out" clause: Having your unfinished work viewed by people not associated with the contract can cause confusion and brand damage. If the client asks to see the edit before you're finished, include watermarks that state "This video is not finished". Your contract should state that any public viewing or sharing of the video by the client to social media, websites, etc, before everything is finalized, constitutes fulfillment of the contract obligations. Your client wants to look good and may try to make more changes based on public feedback. This can be done in a separate contract.

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