How We Work

Most of what makes a commercial production go badly is decided before anyone picks up a camera. This page covers what a production with us involves, what's included, and what happens after delivery — so the questions worth asking get answered before you're on a call.

What a production includes

Every engagement covers creative direction, shot list development, lighting design, production, and delivery in the formats agreed during pre-production.

Deliverables arrive as final retouched files, with one round of revisions included. Requests beyond that — object removal, compositing, background replacement, or a change in creative direction — are quoted before the work is done.

Talent, styling, props, and set dressing are sourced through the studio and invoiced separately at cost. Specialist equipment and media archiving are quoted with your production. You don't need to arrange any of it yourself.

Larger productions include a practice day ahead of the shoot — lighting tests, set construction, and technique rehearsal — so the production day runs to plan. Where one applies, it's confirmed in your proposal.

How pricing works

Every production is scoped to the brief, so there’s no rate card here. A two-hour session and a multi-day campaign shoot are different jobs, and quoting either one before understanding what it needs would mean guessing.

The 15-minute consultation is where scope gets decided — deliverables, format, usage, timeline. What follows is a written proposal specific to your project, with everything itemised before anything is booked. No estimates that move, no line items you meet for the first time on an invoice.

If the scope changes after we’ve agreed it, that’s a conversation before the work happens, not a surprise afterwards.

Who handles what

Talent — models for lifestyle and campaign work are sourced and coordinated through the studio.

Food styling — chef and food stylist available. Our facility includes a commercial kitchen with refrigeration, stainless steel prep table, cooktop, oven, sink, and dishwasher, so food is plated at service quality on site rather than transported. Additional commissary capacity is available for high-volume productions.

Hair and makeup — artists sourced through the studio; a dedicated station and private changing room are on site.

Locations — where a production runs off-site, location costs are handled and invoiced at cost.

Remote direction

You don't have to be in the room. Live-tethered capture means you see frames as they're made, with real-time digital proofing so layouts, lighting, and composition can be reviewed from anywhere. For complex sets, we run a private live feed of the camera view and the studio floor.

Much of our commercial work has been produced for out-of-province clients.

Timeline

Typical delivery is 15 business days from production for photography, and 21 for motion, which carries editing, colour grading, and sound. Your production schedule confirms the dates for your project.

Rush delivery is available and quoted at booking.

Licensing

Every production includes a usage licence scoped to the project. A standard commercial licence covers digital, web, and social use — the surfaces most campaigns need.

Extended usage — print and point-of-sale, packaging, broadcast, out-of-home, or global distribution — is quoted separately based on distribution scale and specified in your agreement before production begins. Extended licences run for a defined term and are renewable; a perpetual buyout is available and quoted separately.

Once all fees are paid, you can use the images within the licence terms.

Terms

A 50% deposit on signing secures your production date; no date is held until it's received. The deposit is non-refundable, as it holds the date and the studio time reserved for it. The balance is set out in your agreement. One reschedule is available at no charge with 14 days' notice, within 60 days of the original date.

Insurance and credentials

The studio carries $5M commercial general liability. A certificate is available on request for client or venue requirements.

PPOC accredited · CAPIC · CAPA · BBB Accredited, A+ rating.

Book a 15-minute consultation — farzansamsamy.studio/contact