For videographers
Contracts for videographers
A UK videographer needs a signed videography contract before the shoot: date, deliverables, booking depositA deposit is money paid up front, before the main work or the final invoice.More in the glossary, kill feeA kill fee is a payment due to a creator or supplier when a client cancels a project before it is finished.More in the glossary, usage rights, and whether raw footage is included. Copyright in the film sits with you under CDPA 1988 s.11 unless you assign it in writing under s.90(3). Lex drafts that on one link the client signs.
Last updated 3 November 2026
Draft this with Lex
Free for the other sideLex drafts it in Plain English beside the legal wording. Share one link; both sides agree and sign.
Templates videographers use most
Which clauses decide a videography contract?
Five lines decide most video jobs: who owns the edits and the raw, how many revision rounds are included, the kill fee, the booking deposit, and the usage rights. Write them in the videography contract before you hold the date. Lex puts them on one paper the client signs from a link.
| Clause | What it does | Typical freelance line |
|---|---|---|
| IP and licenceA licence is permission to use work in an agreed way, without taking ownership away from the person who made it.More in the glossary | Who owns the final edits, raw footage and libraries. | assignmentAssignment is the transfer of rights under a contract to someone else, such as the right to be paid. In England and Wales a legal assignment of a debt must be in writing, absolute, and notified, under the Law of Property Act 1925 s.136. Duties do not pass by assignment; moving duties takes a novation.More in the glossary of finals on full payment; raw retained unless priced. |
| Revisions | Caps picture-lock rounds so the cut does not drift. | Two consolidated rounds on the agreed edit; extras quoted first. |
| Kill fee | Money due if they cancel the shoot. | Booking fee kept; committed costs plus a rising share as the date nears. |
| Deposit | Money that holds the date. | Booking fee on signature; the date is not held until it lands. |
| Usage rights | Where and how long they can show the film. | Named channels, territory and term; music stays on its own licence. |
What contract does a videographer need?
Start from a videography contract. It names the shoot date, hours, deliverables, turnaround, whether raw is included, music licensing, usage rights, the booking fee and cancellation. Wedding bookings are usually consumer contracts; brand films are not. Lex drafts from one sentence. The other side signs from one link, with no account and no fee.
Who owns the film and the raw footage?
You do, unless you assign copyright in writing, signed. CDPA 1988 s.11 makes the author the first owner of a film; s.90(3) requires a signed written assignment. Possession of a card dump is not ownership. Keep raw unless the paper makes it a deliverable, and price a buyout if they want it. See photographer RAW files for the same split.
What should a booking deposit and kill fee cover?
A booking deposit holds the date and is due on signature. A kill fee is what they pay if they cancel. There is no default UK right to keep either sum. Write when the money is due, what is kept on cancellation, and that committed costs sit on top. For weddings see wedding videographer deposit.
How should usage rights be written?
Name the channels, territory and term. A licence lets them show the film for agreed uses while you keep copyright. An assignment moves copyright, in writing, signed, usually on full payment. Third-party music and stock stay on their own licences either way. Portfolio use is a separate line. Wider or longer use costs more.
What if weather or a cancellation stops the shoot?
Write a force majeure line for weather and events beyond either side’s control, plus a rescheduling rule that keeps the booking fee on a short-notice move. Client cancellation is a kill fee, not force majeureForce majeure is a clause that pauses a party’s duties when something outside both sides’ control stops the work.More in the glossary. Couples booking their own wedding film are consumers; a sliding scale still has to be fair. See client cancels.
Frequently asked questions
What contract does a videographer need?
A videography contract covering the shoot date, deliverables, raw footage, usage rights, booking fee and cancellation. Start from the videography contract template. Wedding bookings are usually consumer contracts; brand films are not.
Who owns the raw footage?
You do, unless the contract makes raw a deliverable or assigns copyright in writing, signed. CDPA 1988 s.11 makes you the first owner. Possession of the files is not copyright. Price a buyout if they want the card dump.
Is a wedding videographer’s booking fee refundable?
Only if the contract says so, or a consumer right requires a refund. There is no default UK rule that you keep — or return — a booking fee when a couple cancels. Write what the money is. See the wedding videographer deposit guide.
Can the client use the film anywhere?
Only for the uses the licence or assignment names. Named channels, territory and term. Music and stock stay on their own licences. Wider use is a further fee, written before they publish it.
What if weather stops the shoot?
A force-majeure line plus a rescheduling rule. Dates move; the booking fee is usually retained on a short-notice change. Client cancellation is a kill fee, not weather.
Can my client sign without creating an account?
Yes. You share one link, the client reads the agreement in Plain English, agrees and signs. It is free for them.
Sources
- Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, ss.4 and 11Checked 28 October 2026Pending lawyer review
- Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, s.90Checked 28 October 2026Pending lawyer review
Related
Clauses
Guides
The legal wording governsLast reviewed 3 November 2026Pending lawyer review