Tell us about your video or photo project

Most inquiries can be answered well with five pieces of information. First, what the project is: a wedding, a company video, a portrait session, an event, a set of social clips. Second, the date, or the range of dates, that matters. Third, where it will take place, even if only the town. Fourth, who it is for and who will see it. Fifth, where the finished photographs or video will be used.

These five facts decide more than they seem to. The date determines availability. The place determines travel and logistics. The audience and the use determine how the work is framed, how long it should be and which formats you will need. Everything else, including style, schedule details and optional extras, can be worked out in conversation.

If you do not know one of them, say so. "We have not picked a venue yet" or "we are not sure whether we need vertical versions" is useful information, because it tells us which question to raise early. A short message with honest gaps is better than a long one that guesses.

Different projects raise different questions. Mentioning the points below, where you can, lets the reply skip the obvious back-and-forth.

• A company video: what the video is for, who will watch it, how many people will appear, whether there is more than one location, and who inside your organization will approve it.
• A wedding: your date, the venue or area, the approximate guest count, whether you are considering photography, video or both, and any moments you already know you want recorded.
• An event: the type of event, its length, the run of show if you have one, whether it is public or private, and what you want to receive afterward.
• A portrait or headshot session: the number of people, whether it is a team or individual, where you would like to shoot and where the photographs will be used.
• Social media content: the accounts you have now, how often you would like to post and whether you want filming, editing, management or a mix.
• Real estate: the address or town, the type of property, whether it is occupied and when it needs to go live.
• A website photo or video project: the pages you are planning, the content you already have and who is building the site.

If you are unsure how to describe the project, write what you are trying to achieve rather than what you think you need to buy. "We want new hires to understand our safety rules before day one" is a better starting point than "a training video," because it leaves room for a better answer.

You can also browse before you write. The services directory lists every service in groups, the industries page is organized by field, and the portfolio shows finished work. The blog answers many of the planning questions people ask before getting in touch.

When you reach us from a service page, the form may offer a short list of things worth mentioning for that service. They are prompts, not conditions. Answer the ones you can and skip the rest.

Availability is the first thing we check, so the more precisely you describe your timing, the faster we can answer. A single fixed date, such as a wedding or a conference, is easy to confirm. A range, such as "sometime in the spring, weekdays preferred," is also useful and often makes scheduling easier, because it gives more options.

If your date depends on something else, such as a venue booking, a product launch or approvals inside your company, mention it. A date that is probable but not confirmed can still be discussed, and we can talk about what to do if it moves.

For projects with several parts, such as a shoot followed by editing and a launch, tell us the date the finished material is needed rather than only the shoot date. Working backward from a deadline shows whether the plan is realistic and where it needs adjusting. We do not publish standard turnaround times, because they depend on scope and on the calendar. Ask about timing for your project and have the answer written into the plan.

It helps to know early who will make decisions. For a wedding, that may be two people, or it may include parents or a planner. For a company, it may be a marketing lead, an owner, an operations manager and someone in legal or compliance. Tell us who they are, even in general terms, and whether anyone has not yet seen the plan.

If several people will review the work, consider naming one person to collect and consolidate feedback. A single list of changes is easier to act on than three lists that disagree. The blog post on organizing reviews without conflicting feedback explains the idea for business projects.

If other vendors are involved, such as a planner, a website designer, a venue manager or an agency, mention them and, with their permission, how to reach them. Coordination early is much easier than coordination on the day.

Tell us the town and the type of space, and whether it is indoors, outdoors or both. If you know of rules that affect filming or photography, such as venue restrictions, building access, parking limits or security procedures, include them. If you do not know, say that you will find out, and we can suggest which questions to ask.

For workplaces, mention anything that affects the shoot: quiet hours, safety requirements, areas that cannot be filmed and equipment that will be running. For homes and private properties, mention pets, small children and any rooms that are off limits.

For outdoor or destination plans, mention the season and any flexibility, since weather and light affect what is possible. Our guides on wedding venues, events and real estate go deeper into location questions for each setting.

We do not publish a price list, because the same service can mean very different amounts of work. The factors that matter are the number of hours or days, the size of the team, the locations, the number of finished items and how the material will be used. A quote only makes sense once those are known.

If you have a budget range in mind, you are welcome to share it, because it helps us suggest a scope that fits instead of one that does not. If you do not have one yet, that is also fine. Describing what you hope to receive and when you need it is enough for a first reply, and you can adjust the plan once you see how choices affect scope.

If you are comparing more than one provider, tell us what you have been quoted for, in terms of deliverables and coverage rather than price alone. It is easier to explain differences when we know what is being compared. The Connecticut pricing guide explains what drives the cost of video projects.

When your message arrives, we review the details, confirm availability and reply with the next steps. If a call would help, we arrange one. The steps above the form summarize this: a review, a check of your date and scope, then a plan for what comes next.

The reply may include questions. Those are not obstacles; they are the points where a plan could go in more than one direction. Short answers by email are fine, and a call is available when talking is quicker than writing.

We do not promise a particular response time or a particular outcome from this page. If your date is very close, say so in your message and consider phoning as well. The email and phone number are shown above the form for that reason.

Many people ask how they will receive their finished work. The answers depend on the project, so these are the questions worth raising, and the reply should address those that apply to you.

• What will I receive: finished photographs, a finished video, or both, and in what lengths and formats?
• Will there be versions for different places, such as a horizontal film for a website and a vertical cut for social media?
• How will files be delivered, and for how long will the delivery link or gallery remain available?
• How many rounds of review are included, and how should I send feedback?
• Will I receive unedited material, or only finished files?
• Where and for how long may I use the finished work, and are there any restrictions on advertising or resale?
• Who is responsible for music, and are there limits on where music-based videos can be posted?
• How should I store and back up my files once I have them?

Once files are delivered, download them promptly and keep copies in at least two places. Delivery galleries and links are not archives. Check that the files open, that the names make sense, and that you have everything you were promised before you close the folder.

For video, review the cut in the format it will be used. A video that looks fine on a large screen may need larger text or tighter framing on a phone. Consolidate comments into one list and send them together, noting the time in the video where each change applies.

For photographs, choose favorites in a calm moment and, where you can, ask a colleague or family member for an opinion. If you are using the files in several places, keep a simple folder structure that separates originals from versions made for a website or a print order.

If anyone involved has access needs, mention them so that the plan accommodates them from the start. That might be step-free access to a location, a quiet space between sessions, extra time for a person who needs it, or a preference about being photographed from a certain side. These details are easy to build into a plan and hard to fix on the day.

Mention sensitivities too: religious or cultural customs that affect what can be filmed or lit, people who prefer not to appear on camera, children whose images should not be shared publicly, and workplace rules about who may be shown. We would rather hear about them early than guess.

For projects with confidentiality concerns, such as unreleased products, private facilities or client information, tell us before the shoot what must not be visible. The industries page discusses confidentiality and approvals at a planning level for sectors where this is common.

Some inquiries are for a single event or a single video. Others are for work that repeats, such as monthly social content, a regular series of interviews or yearly headshot updates for a growing team. Tell us which you expect, because ongoing work is planned differently from a one-time project: shared calendars, a standing approval process and a consistent look matter more.

If you are not sure, start with the single project and see how it goes. Many ongoing arrangements begin that way. Describe what you hope the first project will teach you, such as whether customers respond to a type of video, and that will shape the next step.

If you already have photographs or video and want help with them, send a description of what you have, who made it and what permissions exist. Material made by someone else may carry restrictions, and it helps to know early. The website photo and video content page explains how supplied material can fit into a plan.

If you prefer to write or call without using the form, the email address and phone number are shown at the top of this page. If the form does not load for any reason, those are the quickest alternatives, and a message with the five facts above is enough to begin.

If you are still exploring, the photography page, the corporate video page and the wedding page describe what each service involves. When you are ready, send the facts you have and the questions you still have, and we will take it from there.