How do I check a video production company’s unbilled projects at closing?

Video work often stretches across shoot days, edits and revision rounds, so billing and delivery can drift apart. Ask for a project list with the client, the agreed scope, the milestones billed and any deposit received. Compare it with the production calendar and the editors’ own task lists to see whether the two tell the same story.

Then ask about the risks. Which projects are waiting on client approval? Which are over scope, and has the client agreed to pay more? Is any footage still on a freelancer’s drive? Contact a few clients, with the seller’s consent, to confirm what they expect to receive and when. Ask whether any footage or raw files are still owed to a client. Delivery promises made in contracts are easy to overlook, yet they carry real cost for whoever takes over.

Finally, deal with the handover. Who finishes each project, who pays the freelancers involved, and who invoices the client? Put the answers in the purchase agreement. Your accountant can say how deposits and work in progress should be recorded, and your lawyer can draft the wording.

Key takeaways

• Get a dated list of open projects showing what has been delivered and billed.
• Confirm scope changes and client approvals before closing.
• Write down who finishes, invoices and collects on each project.
• Ask whether any footage or raw files are still owed to a client at closing.