Custom requests: quoting, scope, delivery

Decide your limits before the first request

On VestaVids, a buyer describes what they want and you quote a price. The request arrives whether you are ready for it or not, so set your terms first. Write a short list of what you will and will not do, what you will not say, and what you cannot film because of space, props or collaborators. Put the short version on your profile. It saves everyone time and makes declining easy: the answer is already written.

You can also require credits per message to open a conversation, or keep messaging free. Requiring a small amount filters out people who are not serious; keeping it free lowers the barrier for new buyers. Either is a reasonable choice, and you can change it.

Quoting

A custom is worth more than a catalogue clip because it is made for one person and you may never sell it again. Common approaches:

• A base price for a given length, with additions for specific elements: outfits to acquire, scripts to learn, a particular location, a fast turnaround.
• A minimum you will not go below, stated plainly, so you do not negotiate from zero each time.
• A separate price if the buyer wants exclusivity (you never sell the clip to anyone else) versus allowing you to add it to your store later. Exclusivity should cost noticeably more.

Quote in writing, through the platform, with the price, what is included, and the delivery date. Ask for payment before filming, or a deposit if the custom is large. Prices vary widely between creators and niches; what matters is that yours covers your time and you can repeat it.

Pinning down scope

Most disputes come from a mismatch between what the buyer imagined and what they received. Before you agree:

• Repeat the request back in your own words and ask them to confirm.
• Ask about anything ambiguous: length, outfit, names to use or avoid, tone, whether they want to be addressed directly.
• State what is not included.
• Agree on the number of revisions, if any. One small change is a reasonable courtesy; re-shoots are a new order.

Decline anything that conflicts with your limits, the platform's rules, or the law. You do not owe an explanation beyond "that is not something I offer".

Delivering

Film to the agreed spec, edit as carefully as a store clip, and deliver through the platform on or before the date you gave. If you are going to be late, say so before the deadline, not after. Keep a copy of the request, the quote, the confirmation and the delivered file, the same way you keep records for everything else you sell.

A good custom often turns into a regular buyer. Treat the first one as the start of a relationship rather than a single transaction.