I was asked to clean up and export some corporate training videos to make them ready for YouTube.
Client: It’s not a big job – they’re pretty much done, we just need a finishing pass. Can you get them done in two days? That’s all we have budget for.
Me: If that’s what needs doing, no problem.
Client: Great! I’ll send you the files.
I got the files, and they were a disaster. Over five hours of unwatched, unedited video in the wrong format. Bad lighting, bad acting, bad everything. I worked on it for seven days, and after three rounds of revisions I delivered six segments averaging 2:30.
Me: Here’s what I’ve done. I need to be onsite for another contract – are there going to be any more revisions?
Client: No big deal. There won’t be any more revisions.
I got a list of revisions the next day, “due immediately.” The email implied that all of the problems with the videos were my fault.
Now, this is where this story takes a dark turn.
When I got the check, it was a little light. I’d only invoiced for the two days we’d agreed on, and my client decided that I only deserved to be paid for one day because her husband met me halfway to pick up the hard drive and because they hired another editor to complete the work that I couldn’t do because I needed to do other work and I was WAY over budget for time.
The best part, and what I’m writing to share with you, is that she wrote a contract on the back of the check. I’ve included photographic evidence.
I wrote her back to let her know in no uncertain terms that all bridges were burned. The best part is she got let go a while later, and I’ve continued to work with the same corporate client, doing at least two projects a year for them since.