What a good video production quote should include

A video production quote is more than a number. It is the first written version of the agreement between you and the production company. If it is clear, the project usually runs smoothly. If it is vague, disagreements tend to surface at the worst moment, often during the final edit.

Two quotes with the same total can buy very different things. One may include three rounds of changes, subtitles in two languages and a licence to use the film anywhere. Another may include one round of changes and no captions. The cheaper-looking quote can become the more expensive one once the extras are added.

This guide sets out what a good quote should contain, how to compare quotes fairly, and which questions to ask before you sign.

The most useful part of any quote is the list of things you will receive. A strong quote names each film, its running time, its format and its purpose. For example: one three-minute documentary for the website, three vertical cuts of 30 seconds for social media, and 20 edited stills from the shoot.

Look for these details for each deliverable:

• Running time and aspect ratio (16:9, 9:16 or 1:1)
• Languages, subtitles and captions included
• File formats and resolution for delivery
• Whether raw footage or project files are handed over
• The delivery date, counted from filming or from your approval

If the quote only lists crew days and equipment, ask the supplier to restate it as deliverables. Days of work are an input. What you are buying is the finished film.

A clear quote groups costs by stage, so you can see where the money goes and what changes if the scope changes. In our own practice, we break every quote into the same stages, because it makes changes easy to discuss.

• Pre-production: research, scripting, interview planning, location scouting, permits and consent paperwork.
• Production: crew roles, number of filming days, equipment, sound recording and any drone work.
• Post-production: editing, colour, sound mix, graphics, music, subtitles and captions.
• Travel and logistics: transport, accommodation, per diems and fuel for field days.
• Licences and third-party costs: music, archive footage, fonts or stock material.
• Tax: whether prices include or exclude VAT.

Tax deserves a line of its own. In Rwanda, Article 4 of Law Nº 049/2023 of 05/09/2023 establishing value added tax sets the rate at 18% for goods and services that are not zero-rated.¹ PwC's Rwanda tax summary, last reviewed in September 2026, gives the same standard rate.² A quote that does not say whether VAT is included can therefore differ from another by 18% of the net price.

Captions and subtitles are often left out of the first quote and added later at extra cost. It is better to ask for them from the start. The W3C advises including specific accessibility requirements in project requirements, requests for proposals and contracts, so expectations are set when work is outsourced.³ It also recommends addressing accessibility as the video is planned and produced, not afterwards.³

Be specific about quality. The W3C states that automatically generated captions do not meet user needs or accessibility requirements unless someone has confirmed they are fully accurate.⁴ A good quote says whether captions are checked by a person, and in which languages. In Rwanda your audiences may need Kinyarwanda, English, French or Kiswahili, and each extra language adds translation and checking time.

Ask whether the supplier will deliver closed captions, which viewers can switch on or off, open captions, which are always displayed, or both.⁴ Social clips usually need burned-in captions, while a website player can use a caption file.

Most disputes are about changes. A good quote states how many rounds of revisions are included, what counts as a revision and what counts as a new request. Changing a caption is a revision. Adding a new interview is a change of scope.

It should also describe the approval route. Who signs off the script, the rough cut and the final cut? How many working days do you have to respond? If your donor or head office must approve the film, build those days into the timeline now.

Usage rights need equal care. The quote should say where and for how long you may use the film, the photographs and the music. Music licences in particular can be limited by platform, territory or time. Ask who owns the raw footage, whether you can re-edit it later, and whether the people filmed have given informed consent for the uses you plan.

Look for a payment schedule tied to clear milestones, such as a deposit on signature, a payment after filming and a final payment on delivery. The quote should also state how long it is valid, what happens if filming is postponed, and how extra days or extra edits are charged.

If you are a public body in Rwanda, your process will run through the national e-procurement system. The Rwanda Public Procurement Authority names Umucyo as the e-procurement system and states that public procurement proceedings are conducted electronically.⁵ It also notes that bidders must register with RDB before they can register on the system.⁵ The World Bank reports that Umucyo was piloted in 2016 and rolled out nationwide from July 2017, with modules for e-bidding, evaluation and contract management, and that domestic and foreign suppliers can register and bid online.⁶ Check that a supplier is registered before you invite them.

Finally, a good quote names the people. Ask who will direct, film and edit, and whether they are staff or freelancers. The quality of a film depends on the team, not on the logo on the letterhead.

Copy this list and use it for every quote you receive. Send the same written brief to every supplier first, so you are comparing like with like.

• Every deliverable is listed with running time, format, language and delivery date.
• Costs are split into pre-production, production, post-production, travel, licences and tax.
• VAT is stated clearly as included or excluded.
• Crew roles and the number of filming days are named.
• Captions are included, checked by a person, in the languages you need.
• The number of revision rounds is stated, with what counts as a revision.
• Approval stages and response times are written into the timeline.
• Music, archive and stock licences are listed, with their limits.
• Ownership of raw footage and final files is clear.
• Informed consent and safeguarding steps are described for anyone filmed, especially children.
• Payment milestones, validity period and postponement terms are stated.
• The supplier can confirm any registration your procurement rules require.

If more than two or three of these are missing, ask for a revised quote before you compare prices.