The best questions to ask a videographer are about where your video will live, what you will actually receive, who is showing up to shoot, and what happens when plans change. Price matters too. But price only makes sense once those answers are clear.
I’m Sean Do, owner and producer of Dallas Media Company. I’m a self-taught photographer and videographer, and I’ve been shooting since 2012. I got my start in esports, cutting same-day vertical recaps at Dallas Mavericks gaming meetups before short-form video was everywhere. Since then I’ve been a Senior Video Producer at Complexity Gaming, a camera operator for ESL FACEIT Group, and a DP on a Prime Video documentary. Today my team covers events, corporate stories, and brand films across Dallas-Fort Worth.
I read a lot of project requests. The great ones make the job easy. The vague ones lead to surprises on shoot day. This guide covers what to know before you reach out, the questions to ask, what drives the price, and what a good videographer should ask you in return.
Before You Ask: Write a Simple Project Brief
The most helpful thing you can send a videographer is a clear brief. Some companies call it a Request for Proposal, or RFP. It doesn’t need to be formal. A one-page email works.
Honestly, we love a well-thought-out RFP. It lets us quote accurately and show up with the right gear. Include these five things:
- Event or project name. What are we covering?
- Dates and times. Include setup and load-out if it’s an event.
- Location. The venue address and any access rules.
- Scope of work. What do you want captured, and what do you want delivered?
- Where the video will live. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, your website, or a screen at the event.
That last one gets skipped the most. It also changes the most. If your content is headed to social media, that tells us to plan vertical cuts from the start. If it’s headed to YouTube or LinkedIn, horizontal is the priority. Many clients need both. Knowing early means we plan the framing for both formats instead of guessing later.
7 Questions to Ask a Videographer
Once your brief is ready, bring these questions to the call. Each one includes what a good answer sounds like.
1. Have You Shot Video at a Project Like Mine? Can I See It?
Not photos. Video. Some vendors do both well. Some are photographers who say yes to video and figure it out on site. Ask for a sample from a similar event or industry.
A good answer is a link to real work that looks like what you need, plus a quick story about how that shoot went.
2. Will You Deliver Vertical and Horizontal Versions?
Vertical is for Reels, TikTok, and Shorts. Horizontal is for YouTube, LinkedIn, and your website. If you need both, say so before the shoot.
I’ve been cutting vertical content since before it was the default. It still surprises me how often it’s an afterthought. A good answer sounds like this: “Yes. Tell me where each piece is going and we’ll plan for it.”
3. Am I Getting Raw Footage, Edited Videos, or Both?
This is where most misunderstandings start. Raw footage means unedited files, and your team does the editing. Edited deliverables mean the videographer cuts finished videos for you. Both are valid. They are priced very differently.
A good answer is a clear list of deliverables in writing. That includes how many videos, how long each one is, and how many rounds of revisions are included.
4. How Fast Will I Get My Content?
Turnaround matters most for events. A recap that posts the next day rides the buzz. A recap that posts three weeks later is history. At Dallas Media Company, our standard is a 24-hour turnaround. For live broadcasts, we’ve delivered finished segments within the same hour.
A good answer is a specific timeframe for each deliverable, not “as soon as possible.”
5. What Happens If I Need Something Outside the Original Scope?
Plans change on shoot day. A speaker gets added. A sponsor wants a quick interview. You need to know how that’s handled before it happens.
Here’s how we do it. We go back to the original scope of work. If the new ask falls outside it, we state the added price and how much time it adds to production. You decide, then we move. We also pack our production kits ahead of time for bigger asks, so a yes on site doesn’t turn into a scramble.
A good answer is a clear process for change requests, with pricing you agree to before any extra work starts.
6. Who Will Actually Be on Site?
The person you talk to may not be the person holding the camera. Ask who is shooting, how many camera operators are coming, and whether there’s an assistant.
A good answer includes names and roles. A multi-room conference needs more crew than a single keynote.
7. How Long Do You Keep a Backup of My Footage?
Drives fail. Files get deleted. If something happens to your copy, a backup can save the project.
We can keep a backup copy for at least 30 days after delivery. That’s an add-on, because storage isn’t cheap anymore. Be wary of anyone promising to store your footage forever for free.
A good answer is a specific retention period and an honest note on what longer storage costs.
A Real Example: Why Question #1 Matters
At the TexSEF UNDISPUTED Esports State Championships, 87 high school teams competed across 13 game titles over three days at Baylor University. A live broadcast ran the entire time.
I was hired as a roaming camera operator. At most esports events, I work as a content producer or event photographer. This time, the assigned videographer was actually a photographer who had never shot video before.
On site, the director of production wanted content faster. The videographer was struggling to keep up. So we switched roles.
I took over video and built a turnkey workflow on the spot. We shot player interviews with the event host, edited them on site, and handed finished segments to the broadcast team. The livestream received its content within one hour of filming.
The event recovered because someone on site could step in. But the client shouldn’t have needed a rescue. One question during hiring would have caught it: “Have you shot video at an event like this, and can I see it?”
What Drives the Price
Two quotes for the “same” shoot can look very different. Usually, three things explain the gap:
- Equipment package. A single-camera interview needs less gear than a multi-camera conference with wireless audio and lighting.
- Crew size. More camera operators and production assistants mean more coverage and more cost.
- Length of the day. A two-hour keynote and a 12-hour event day are priced very differently.
Editing, turnaround speed, and add-ons like footage storage stack on top.
So ask, “Can you break down what’s driving this quote?” A good videographer will walk you through gear, crew, and hours. Then you can compare quotes fairly or trim the scope to fit your budget.
What a Good Videographer Will Ask You
Questions should go both ways. If a videographer quotes you without asking anything, that’s a red flag.
When a client sends a clear brief, I often have everything I need. I book a discovery call when something in the brief is unclear. If there’s no brief at all, the call is where I ask the same questions I’d want answered in one:
- What’s the event, and when and where is it?
- Where will the video live afterward?
- What’s the scope of work? Raw footage, edited videos, or both?
If your videographer asks these, you’re in good hands. If you can answer them before the call, even better.
Ready to Plan Your Shoot?
Dallas Media Company covers events, corporate stories, and brand films across Dallas-Fort Worth. Send us your brief, or book a free discovery call. We respond within 24 hours.
Want to see the work first? Browse our portfolio.
