Terms & Conditions

Last updated: 17 August 2025

These Terms govern all services provided by The Palette (the “Studio”, “we”, “us”) to the client (“you”). By commissioning work, paying a deposit, delivering assets, or submitting our booking form, you agree to these Terms. If a signed Statement of Work (SOW) exists, it prevails to the extent of any conflict.

1) Definitions

  • SOW: Statement of Work, confirming scope, timeline, deliverables, and fees for a specific project.

  • First Pass: The first complete graded version delivered for review.

  • Revision Round: Two consolidated sets of notes from you via FrameIO, followed by our updates and delivery of a revised version.

  • Deliverables: The files listed in the SOW (e.g., ProRes master, H.264, social versions).

  • Business Hours: 8:00–18:00 (UK time, Mon–Fri), excluding UK public holidays.

2) Scope of Work

The SOW lists the project title, length, specs, included rounds, deliverables, timeline, and fees. Work outside the SOW is out-of-scope and billed as extras. We grade in a color-managed pipeline targeting Rec.709 unless otherwise agreed.

3) Scheduling & Delivery

  • Core Finish: First Pass delivered within 48 business hours after deposit + assets.

  • Core Lite: First Pass within 3 business days, scheduled as-available (no rush promise).

  • Premium: May include 24-hour First Pass or additional formats/live review (defined in SOW).

  • As-Available: Student/Scholarship projects are scheduled flexibly without a delivery guarantee.

Delays in receiving assets, approvals, or payments will move delivery dates.

4) Fees, Deposits & Payment

  • Deposit: 50% upfront to reserve the slot. No work begins until deposit + assets are received.

  • Balance: Due on delivery or 30 days if required by client's finance department. Final masters are released once payment clears. Net 7 terms may apply to repeat account clients.

  • Payments: Stripe (card), bank transfer, or Wise. Quoted in GBP unless stated otherwise.

  • Taxes: Exclusive of VAT or other taxes unless specified.

  • Late Fees: 2% per month after 7 days overdue (or maximum allowed by law).

5) Revisions

  • Core Lite includes 2 rounds; Core/Premium include 2 rounds.

  • Extra rounds: £100 each.

  • Notes must be consolidated per round. Fragmented notes may be deferred or billed.

  • Technical fixes (our fault) are corrected free within 7 days. Preference/creative changes outside agreed rounds are chargeable.

6) Rush, Overtime & Supervised Sessions

  • Rush Fee: +40% if faster turnaround requested (unless Premium Rush booked).

  • Overtime: Out-of-hours requests may incur additional fees.

  • Supervised Review: Premium includes 1 hour live remote review. Additional time: £80/hr.

7) Cancellations & Kill Fees

  • Postponement (≥3 business days’ notice): Reschedule once at no charge (subject to availability).

  • Cancellation before start: Deposit refundable less prep time.

  • Cancellation after start: Deposit non-refundable + 50% of remaining fee (Kill Fee).

  • <2 business days’ notice: Treated as cancellation after start.

8) Client Responsibilities

  • Confirm you hold rights to materials provided.

  • Supply edit-locked timeline/XML/EDL/AAF/DRT, media, LUTs, and references in agreed formats.

  • Provide consolidated feedback on time to maintain schedule.

  • Approve or escalate promptly to avoid delays.

9) Deliverables & Color Spaces

  • Standard delivery in Rec.709 (web/broadcast). HDR/Dolby Vision at extra cost.

  • Deliverables listed in SOW only. Extra versions are billable.

  • Color perception varies across uncalibrated screens. We grade on calibrated systems; exact visual match across platforms cannot be guaranteed.

10) Storage & Backups

  • Secure transfer links provided via FrameIO.

  • We retain working files for 30 days after final delivery. Masters may be archived at our discretion.

  • Retrieval beyond 30 days may incur handling fees if files remain available.

11) Credits & Portfolio Use

Unless otherwise agreed:

  • We may showcase before/after frames, breakdowns, and final exports for portfolio, showreel, and social media.

  • Credit: “Color by Khalif Sultan (@khalifsultan_)” in descriptions and social tags.

  • Student/Scholarship projects require case-study rights.

12) Confidentiality

We respect confidentiality and can sign NDAs. If portfolio use is fully restricted, fees and scheduling may adjust.

13) Liability

  • We provide services with reasonable skill and care to industry standards.

  • Liability is capped at fees paid for the project in question.

  • We are not liable for indirect losses, platform compression, or uncalibrated viewing issues.

14) Force Majeure

Neither party is liable for delays caused by events beyond reasonable control (e.g., outages, illness, natural events). Timelines will adjust.

15) Governing Law

These Terms are governed by England & Wales law and subject to its courts, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

16) Updates

We may revise Terms. The version active at the SOW date applies to that project.

17) Contact

Questions? Use the website contact form or email us directly.

Plain-English Note: Performance polish is always included. We don’t discount quality—if budgets are tight, we reduce scope (fewer rounds or formats), not standards.