My first big client project turned into a nightmare last month

I landed a $500 video editing gig for a local bakery in Cleveland last month. They wanted a 2-minute promo with drone shots of their new storefront. I spent 12 hours on color grading and transitions, but when I sent the draft, the owner said it was too flashy and asked for a plain slideshow instead. Has anyone else had a client completely change their vision after seeing your work?

3 comments

3 Comments

owens.cameron8d ago

That $500 number stands out to me. Honestly I think the problem isn't that they changed their mind, it's that you didn't ask enough questions before starting. A 2 minute promo with drone shots and heavy color grading sounds like a lot for a bakery promo. Most small business owners want something simple that shows their product and storefront not a cinematic experience. They probably just wanted clean footage of croissants and their counter with some nice music. You put in 12 hours of work they didn't ask for. Next time ask them to show you 3 examples of videos they like first. That way you know exactly what flashy means to them.

jamie_white8d ago

Really feel for you on this one. Getting burned on a project hurts a lot, especially when you put in that much time. The scope creep thing is brutal, and it sounds like they wanted a completely different thing than what you made. Most small businesses think "viral video" means their phone footage with a trending sound, not a whole production. You were probably trying to give them something pro and they just wanted something fast and cheap. Sucks when you try to level up your work and it backfires like that. Hope you get your money and find clients who get what you actually do.

the_tessa6d ago

Oh man, I've been there! What worked for me was starting with a super simple storyboard before touching any editing software. I used to just jump into the flashy stuff too, but now I make clients sign off on a basic frame-by-frame plan first, like screenshots and rough sketches. That way they see exactly what they're getting before I sink hours into color grading and transitions. It saved me on my last commercial edit - the client wanted to add extra product shots and I could point right to the signed plan and say "that's a change order.