Video Entrepreneur: A Modest Proposal (page 2)

Author, Author

The second part of the proposal I send to clients is the Estimate and Authorization. On this sheet, I try to be as complete as possible, putting down my best guesses on what each part of the video will cost. There are two schools of thought on this. A buddy of mine, who also produces video, only tells his clients what the total cost of the production will be. He has found that some clients try to lower the price by eliminating parts of the video ("Look, we can save $200 if we re-use a stack of VHS tapes from home...").

Whatever method you choose, the important item is the last line on the page. This is where it says:
Authorization: ____________________________ Date: ________
Have the client sign and date your document and you can get started.

Does this document protect you from a client who want to rip you off? Nope. But neither do multi-page contracts. I know of a disreputable fellow who has run up thousands of dollars worth of video production bills (though not with me, thank goodness), refused to pay, been taken to court, ordered to pay by the judge, and still refused to pay. The last I heard, he had left town--without paying.

If you don't have a good feeling in your gut about a potential client and you think they might be in the sleazy category, back off. Talk to other people in the community who have worked with this person. Are your fears legitimate? A little homework can help you avoid major headaches.

So why get a signature? Honest people (the ones you want to work with) stand by their promises. But even these folks sometimes have short memories. ("I never agreed to that." "But you signed this document saying you did." "I did? I'll be darned.") Leaving a paper trail helps everyone remember these little details.

What Do You Propose?

Often, a proposal is much more than just a few descriptive paragraphs with a cost figure attached. A proposal may become a long, involved chunk of paperwork which explains in detail how you will create a specific video project. It is sometimes written in response to a Request for Proposal (RFP). Government agencies and other large corporations often send out RFPs when they need specific services, be they video production or bomb shelter construction. What they get back from an RFP is a mountain of proposals, each explaining why the proposer is the best choice to provide that service.

How can you get in on the fun of responding to an RFP? One way is to team up with a larger company which is responding to an RFP that calls for a video as a part of a larger contract.

For example, I once worked on a project where a company was creating a simulator for the Navy to train catapult officers on aircraft carriers. These officers stood on a simulated deck and looked at a large screen television showing F-14s, A-6s and other aircraft preparing to take off. The production company I worked for was the subcontractor responsible for capturing the aircraft on videotape.

As a subcontractor, the video company was only responsible for responding to a small part of the RFP. But it was important that the Navy was as comfortable with the information presented in the video portion of the proposal as the rest. If you can convince large companies in your area that you are the person to handle its video requirements, they might call you when they need a video subcontractor.

If the RFP is for the production of a video program, you could respond as the primary contractor on the job. But be aware that these RFPs go out to dozens of companies at the same time. If you don't feel that yours is the right company to do the work outlined in the RFP, you may want to save your energy for a project you can handle.

Why not respond to every RFP you can find? Because creating a proposal is a lot of work. You could conceivably spend all your time writing proposals and never win any of them.

For Example

What kind of information do most agencies expect to see in a proposal? The following is the actual wording of the proposal format from an RFP from the State of Florida.

1. Table of Contents
2. Tab 1. Executive Summary - Include a synopsis of the proposal prepared in a manner that is easily understood by non-technical personnel.
3. Tab 2. Certification and References - the proposer shall provide a list of not less than three (3) nor more than five (5) different previous clients during the past 3 years as references. This part shall include the dates of the previous projects and the name, title and telephone number of a responsible employee of the previous client who is familiar with the project. The proposer must include a certification that in the previous project it was the original provider of the services.
4. Tab 3. Resumes of Individuals Proposed to Work on this Contract - the proposer shall include resumes of the individual it proposes to assign to this project, specifying relevant educational and work experiences, and shall designate which individual will be the producer/director responsible for the coordination of work efforts of the other personnel assigned to the project. Availability of each individual shall be described, as well as the estimated number of work days of commitment from each.
5. Tab 4. Description of Creative and Technical Approach - The proposer must provide a description of how it will produce the video programs. This description shall include the proposed production schedule of the estimated working days required to complete each part of each program, the degree of involvement by the Division, and the geographic location where the production will take place. It should also include general information about the talent (estimated number of professionals, semi- professionals, and extras) and a general description of the proposed use of narrative, dramatics, animation and graphics.
6. Tab 5. Description of Video Equipment - The proposer must supply a list of production and post-production equipment intended for producing these programs.
7. Tab 6. Work Sample - The proposer must supply a sample in VHS format of a previous instructional or training video program with production values similar to those offered in response to the RFP. The work sample will be evaluated for both production quality and creative treatment of the subject matter.