The Freelancer's
Contract Pack
Five production-industry contract templates plus a plain English guide that explains every document, every term, and when to use each one with a client. Every clause annotated with what it protects you from. Built for cinematographers, editors, colorists, motion designers, and producers.
Delivered as PDF + editable Word documents. No subscription. No upsells. Review with your attorney before first use.
Six documents. Start with the Plain English Guide — it explains every term and every situation in language that assumes you have never used a contract before. Then use the five templates on your actual jobs. Each template has bracketed decision notes and annotations on every major clause.
The Plain English Guide
Read this first. A plain-language walkthrough of all five documents — what each one is, when you use it with a client, what the terms mean, and why they matter. Written at a level that assumes you've never used a contract before. About 10 pages. No legal jargon.
- →What a kill fee is and why every working freelancer needs one
- →The difference between a quote and a contract
- →How getting paid works at a production company
- →What "Net 30" means and why it matters for your cash flow
- →The one question to ask every corporate client before you invoice
Freelance Services Agreement
The full contract. Covers scope, payment, kill fees, IP ownership, reel rights, indie contractor status, indemnification, and change orders. Every major clause annotated with what it protects you from.
- →Kill fee structure (3 tiers based on how far along the work is)
- →Work-for-hire vs. license — three options with production context
- →Reel and portfolio rights clause you will not give up
- →Revision definition — what counts as a revision and what doesn't
- →Liability cap at total compensation received
Project Quote / Rate Sheet
A professional estimate template that sets scope before the contract. Line-item pricing for day rate, project rate, or hybrid billing. Equipment fees, optional add-ons, and a built-in expiration date.
- →Scope inclusions and exclusions — listed side by side
- →Three billing model formats (day rate / project / hybrid)
- →Optional add-on menu clients can choose from
- →Client feedback deadlines built into the project timeline
- →Quote expiration — 14 days, always
Change Order Form
One page that stops scope creep cold. Documents what changed, the time and budget impact, and gets client authorization before you start the new work. Designed to be signed before the work begins — not after.
- →Original scope baseline (linked back to the signed contract)
- →Impact assessment: time, delivery date, and budget
- →Three payment options for change order amounts
- →Explicit statement that no further out-of-scope work proceeds without a new CO
Invoice Template
A professional invoice that gets you paid. Line items for services, equipment, and expenses. PO number field for corporate clients. Late fee clause reference. Step-by-step notes on getting invoices processed faster.
- →PO number field — the thing that gets corporate clients to pay
- →Line items with day/hour rate and total calculations
- →Deposit credit line (shows balance due, not just total)
- →Two payment method slots — prioritized by your preference
- →Late fee reference language tied to the signed contract
Email Templates (5 Situations)
Five emails every freelancer will need to send. Written in plain, professional language — no apologizing, no hedging, no groveling. Copy, customize, and send.
- →Rate introduction — states your number in the first email, not the third
- →Rate increase announcement — notice + holdback offer, no justification required
- →Late payment follow-up — four sentences with teeth
- →Scope creep pushback — "happy to help, here's the Change Order" format
- →Deposit request / project confirmation — with a deadline that protects your calendar
This pack pays for itself the first time you use it. Pick whichever scenario applies to you.
A kill fee clause pays for this pack 50 times over on the first cancelled project. Without it, you get nothing.
The late fee clause and invoice follow-up templates give you the language to collect without a lawyer.
The Change Order form turns a passive 'I guess I'll do it' into a documented, paid work authorization.
No. These are templates — a starting point, not finished legal documents. Every document in the pack includes a note recommending attorney review before first use. What you're paying for is a strong, production-industry-informed foundation that your attorney can review and adapt, instead of starting from a blank page.
No specific state. The templates are written to be jurisdiction-neutral — no state-specific assumptions. You'll fill in your own state in the governing law clause. If you're in California, your attorney should review the independent contractor classification language against current AB5 standards.
PDF versions of all five documents, plus editable Word files so you can customize and save your own versions for each client.
Yes. The agreements are written to cover both. The IP / copyright section has specific options for commercial work (work-for-hire) versus narrative and artistic work (license or assignment on payment). Decision notes explain which applies to which situation.
Maybe not the full pack. But most freelancer contracts are missing at least one of these: a kill fee structure, a change order process, reel rights language, or a liability cap. If your contract is missing any of those, it's worth reading the annotations here to see what you'd be adding.
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