Two proposals both promise a “30-second product video.” One costs less. Is it the better deal? First, ask both suppliers the same question: Which shots, versions and revisions does this price include? A total becomes useful for comparison once the scope is aligned.
For brand leads and procurement teams, a deliverables sheet is a practical starting point. Keep runtime on it, but give suppliers enough detail to price the work behind those seconds.
Turn a selling point into something you can review
“Show portability” or “make it feel premium” expresses a direction. It leaves room for very different production proposals.
Consider a hypothetical folding desk lamp. To demonstrate portability, the brief could ask for its open and folded forms, followed by a shot of it being placed in a specified bag. The brand supplies accurate dimensions and a sample; the production team explains which actions its proposal covers.
One supplier might offer rotating beauty shots. Another might include hands operating the lamp, a bag prop and close-ups of the folding mechanism. Both could deliver 30 seconds, while answering different customer questions.
Choose two or three essential points to demonstrate, then ask how the shots will establish them. For every additional demonstration, check whether the agreed scenes and footage can support it.
Send every supplier the same scope sheet
Use this table as a request-for-quote framework, not an industry rate card. “Included” should come with a quantity or a boundary. Mark unresolved details as “to be confirmed.”
| Item | Specify in your request | Ask the supplier to clarify |
|---|---|---|
| Products and demonstrations | SKUs, sample condition, essential actions, available locations and props | Live-action or animation approach; additional purchases, tests or builds |
| Creative and main edit | Customer question, core message and runtime | Script and storyboard deliverables; number of distinct narrative versions |
| Aspect ratios and cutdowns | Placements, ratios and runtime for each version | Reframing versus changes to shots, titles or opening; exact file count |
| Language and sound | Subtitle languages, voiceover needs and terminology approver | Whether translation, recording and mixing are included; final copy approval |
| Review and changes | Approver, review milestones and required delivery date | Revision rounds at each stage; definition of a round; approval of extra cost and time |
| Licensing and handover | Intended channels, file formats, textless exports, footage or project-file needs | Third-party asset permissions and documentation; retention and handover scope |
Label each response “included,” “extra,” “unavailable” or “to be confirmed.” Resolve unknowns that could affect launch, then compare prices for equivalent scope.
If the budget needs to come down, agree on a core package and optional additions. For example, retain one main edit and price a second creative opening separately. That gives the team a visible choice about what to remove.
What does “one more vertical version” involve?
Separate three questions: does the frame change, does the story change, and do the words or sound change?
Google Ads’ video specifications list recommended horizontal 16:9, vertical 9:16 and square 1:1 ratios, alongside safe-area guidance. Requirements also depend on format and placement. Name the intended use in the brief instead of asking for an unspecified “all-platform” package.
Automation still needs a defined deliverable. Adobe’s Auto Reframe documentation describes creating a sequence in a new ratio, with possible fine-tuning for complex movement or multiple points of interest. Our recommendation is to check the product, action and subtitles after reframing, and to state whether that review is included in the quote.
A sample version list could read: One 30-second main edit in 16:9 and 9:16. Each ratio has a Chinese-subtitled and an English-subtitled export: four finished files. Voiceover, alternative creative openings and textless exports are excluded. This illustrates how to specify a package; it is not a recommendation that every project needs four versions.
A 15-second vertical cut opening on a different benefit introduces another editing task. Subtitle replacement, new voiceover and a rewritten narrative also need separate scope descriptions.
Three change requests, three starting points
Continue with the hypothetical lamp project. These examples depend on the approved script, version list and revision agreement; they are not default contract terms.
The finished video misspells the approved model name. Compare it with the approved copy. If the delivery departs from the agreement, apply the agreed correction process. Do not decide solely by counting used revision rounds. If the brand subsequently renamed the model, establish what the new request affects.
The agreed vertical version is finished, but the brand wants a different opening. Does that mean rearranging existing shots, or rewriting the message and adding graphics or recording? Check the agreed revision rounds and scope. It could be an included change or an additional version; the number of seconds alone cannot settle it.
After approval of the main edit, the brand adds another SKU with a different appearance. Check whether suitable footage already exists. If the request needs another shoot, animation work or demonstration, confirm the additional deliverables, cost and date before starting that work.
Each situation needs a shared reference. We recommend one person consolidates internal feedback at each review milestone. Also agree how delayed feedback or reopening an approved stage affects the schedule, so dependencies remain visible.
Check where the assets can be used
“Music included” leaves an unanswered question: included for which uses? Give the production team your intended channels and ask for the selected assets’ licensing basis and handover documentation. For example, Adobe Stock’s licensing FAQ distinguishes audio uses, with some requiring an extended license. Check the conditions for the assets actually chosen; other music providers may have different terms.
List raw footage, editing project files and textless masters separately. If another team will make future edits, specify the files it needs, the handover date and how third-party assets will be handled.
Close your request with a practical instruction: “Please price this scope, identifying included items, extras, unresolved items and the process for approving scope changes.” You can bring the same sheet, product information and launch date to a conversation with ONCE VISUAL. A useful quote comparison ends with a scope the production team can deliver and the brand can assess.
