Three quotes for the same production scope can return widely different totals — SAR 80k, 180k, and 320k for what appears on paper to be identical work. The variance is almost never explained by quality alone; the largest driver is what each provider does and does not include in the line items. This article specifies the eleven line items that should appear in a complete production quote, with what each one should contain.
1. Pre-production days
Specify the number of pre-production days, the activities included (concept development, script, storyboarding, location scouting, casting, production meetings), and any client review milestones. A typical brand film involves 5–15 pre-production days; absence of this section in a quote indicates the work is either compressed unrealistically or expected to be charged separately.
2. Shoot days and overage
State the number of shoot days, the call time and wrap time per day, and the overage rate for hours beyond the contracted day. Standard productions in Saudi Arabia define a shoot day as 10–12 hours; anything longer should trigger an overage charge specified in the contract.
3. Crew composition with day rates
List every crew role on the project with the corresponding day rate and number of days. Minimum entries for a brand film: director, director of photography, 1st assistant camera, gaffer, sound mixer, two grips, art director, make-up artist, production assistant. Quotes that aggregate crew under a single line obscure the breakdown.
4. Equipment list
Itemise camera package (camera body, lens set), lighting package, grip package, sound package, and any specialty equipment (drone, jib, motion control). Confirm whether equipment is owned by the production company or rented from a third party; for rented packages, the quote should disclose whether the rental cost is charged at cost or with markup.
5. Talent and casting
If the production involves on-camera talent, the quote should state: casting fees, talent day rates, usage fees (territory, term, media), and agency commissions. Casting work without specified usage limitations creates re-licensing requirements later that the original quote did not contemplate.
6. Locations
List location fees, permitting fees, and any associated costs (security, parking, after-hours access). For public locations in Saudi Arabia, specify which entity issues the permit (Royal Commission, municipality, ministry, or private landholder) and the lead time required.
7. Post-production hours by department
Break post-production into editorial, colour grading, sound mix, motion graphics, and online finishing, with hours allocated per department. Quotes that lump all post-production into a single line make it impossible to assess whether the allocated effort matches the deliverable's complexity.
8. Music and sound licensing
Specify whether the project uses commercial-library music, original composition, or a combination. For library music, the quote should state the licence territory, duration, and media usage. For original composition, the quote should specify ownership terms (work-for-hire or licensed) and any limitations on derivative use.
9. Deliverables and asset specifications
List every deliverable with its specifications: file format (ProRes, H.264), resolution (4K, 2K, 1080p), aspect ratios (16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:5), durations (90s, 60s, 30s, 15s), and subtitle requirements (Arabic, English, captions vs. open titles). Modern social campaigns typically generate 8–15 deliverables per shoot; the quote must list them all.
10. Insurance and contingency
The quote should reference the production company's public liability and equipment insurance, and any contingency line item (typically 5–10% of production cost). Productions without explicit contingency carry a cost-overrun risk that defaults to the client.
11. Payment schedule and terms
State the payment milestones (typically 30% on contract, 30% on shoot day, 40% on delivery, with variations possible), the currency, VAT treatment, and the payment terms (net 30, etc.). Productions that begin without a documented payment schedule expose both parties to cash-flow disputes mid-project.
Reading the variance between quotes
Once you have three quotes structured against these eleven items, the variance becomes interpretable. The SAR 80k quote typically omits items 1, 5, 8, 9, or 10; the SAR 320k quote typically inflates items 3 or 4 with premium options not requested in the brief. The right comparison happens line by line, not at the bottom total.
For procurement teams scoping production work, the partner-selection framework and brief-preparation guide on the Knowledge Hub are useful companion reading. To see how a Riyadh-based production company structures its quotes, contact Darb's production team.
