At Charles River Media, every project begins with a question: what does success look like for you? The answer shapes everything, from crew selection and shoot logistics to how often we check in and what we report on. Over more than two decades producing video, live events, and digital content for organizations like Harvard Business School, Adobe, and New Balance, we have refined a communication framework that keeps clients informed, protected from surprises, and confident at every stage.
This guide outlines the standard protocols and update cadence clients can expect across each phase of a Charles River Media project. Consider it a roadmap for how we work together.
In Short: Every project gets a named project manager from kickoff through delivery. Written status updates go out weekly during pre-production and in real time during production. Post-production follows a three-round review cycle. No scope changes are executed without written authorization. Raw footage is retained for 12 months post-delivery. Response time for general questions: one business day; urgent on-set issues: one hour.
Phase 1: Discovery and Kickoff
The kickoff phase sets the tone for everything that follows. Before a single camera is scheduled or a script is drafted, we invest time in understanding your goals, your audience, and your constraints.
What Happens in This Phase
Kickoff call or meeting: We schedule a dedicated session (typically 60 to 90 minutes) with your core stakeholders and our project lead. This is where we align on objectives, timelines, budget parameters, and creative direction.
Project brief documentation: Following the kickoff, we produce a written project brief summarizing all agreed-upon goals, deliverables, and scope. You receive this within 48 hours of the kickoff meeting for your review and sign-off.
Point-of-contact assignment: You are introduced to your dedicated Charles River Media project manager, who serves as your primary contact from this point forward.
Communication Cadence
Activity | Timing | Format |
|---|---|---|
Kickoff meeting | Within the first week of engagement | Video call or in-person |
Project brief delivery | Within 48 hours post-kickoff | Written document via email |
Scope confirmation | Before any work begins | Email sign-off |
Why this matters: Misaligned expectations at the start of a project are the single most common cause of delays and cost overruns in production. Our written brief process creates a shared source of truth that every team member, on both sides, works from.
Phase 2: Pre-Production
Pre-production is where strategy becomes execution. This phase covers everything from location scouting and talent coordination to scripting, storyboarding, and technical planning. It is also the phase where the most client input is required, which is why our communication is most intensive here.
What Happens in This Phase
Communication Cadence
Weekly status updates are the backbone of pre-production communication. Every week, your project manager sends a written status report covering:
Tasks completed since the last update
Items pending client input or approval
Upcoming milestones and deadlines
Any open risks or decisions that need resolution
For projects with compressed timelines (such as live events with a fixed date), updates may shift to twice weekly as the production date approaches.
Review and Approval Windows
We build structured review windows into the pre-production schedule. When a script, storyboard, or location plan is submitted for your review, you will receive:
A clear description of what is being reviewed and why it matters
A specific feedback deadline (typically 48 to 72 hours)
A follow-up from your project manager if feedback has not been received by the deadline
On feedback deadlines: We ask that clients respect review windows not to be rigid, but because downstream crew bookings, location holds, and equipment reservations are often tied to approval timelines. A two-day delay in script approval can cascade into a week-long schedule shift.
Escalation Protocol
If a decision requires input from stakeholders beyond your day-to-day contact, flag this during kickoff. We will build approval lead times into the schedule accordingly and will never proceed on a deliverable without documented sign-off.
Phase 3: Production
Production day is where preparation pays off. Whether we are shooting a corporate documentary at your headquarters, streaming a live investor meeting, or capturing a multi-day event, the on-set environment is managed by our production team so you can focus on your role, not ours.
Your Role on Production Day
Clients are always welcome on set or at the event venue. We encourage it. That said, we ask that all creative direction and real-time change requests be routed through your designated on-set client liaison or our production lead, rather than directly to crew members. This keeps the set running efficiently and ensures every request is logged and considered against the production schedule.
Real-Time Communication
For live events and same-day streaming productions, communication protocols shift to real-time:
Pre-show briefing: A 30-minute walkthrough with your team and ours before any live production begins, covering the run of show, contingency plans, and communication channels for the day
On-site point of contact: Our production lead carries a dedicated channel (typically a production radio or group text) for immediate communication with your team
Live stream monitoring: For webcasts and hybrid events, our technical director monitors stream health in real time and communicates any issues to you immediately, before they affect your audience
What We Document on Production Day
Every production generates a report, delivered to your inbox. This includes:
Total footage captured
Any on-set changes
Notes on talent performance, location conditions, or technical observations
Confirmed next steps for post-production
The practical value of this: If a question arises weeks later about what was shot, what was changed, or why a particular decision was made on set, the wrap report is the record. We have found that clients working on projects with multiple stakeholders or legal review requirements find this documentation especially valuable.
Phase 4: Post-Production
Post-production is often where client anxiety peaks, because the work happens largely out of view. Footage goes in, and at some point a cut comes out. At Charles River Media, we treat post-production as a collaborative process with structured visibility, not a black box.
The Review Cycle
Our standard post-production workflow uses a tiered review structure:
Review Round | What You Receive | What We Need Back |
|---|---|---|
Rough Cut (v1) | An assembly edit showing structure and pacing, with temp music and placeholder graphics | High-level directional notes on structure and content |
Refined Cut (v2) | Addressed notes from v1; color, audio, and graphics near final | Specific, consolidated feedback from all stakeholders |
Final Cut (v3) | All v2 notes addressed; ready for approval | Written sign-off to release for delivery |
A note on consolidated feedback: We ask that all stakeholder notes be compiled into a single document or put in frame.io before submission. Receiving fragmented feedback from multiple individuals at different times creates version conflicts and delays. Your project manager will remind you of this before each review round.
Communication Cadence in Post
Edit delivery notifications: You receive an email with a secure review link the moment each cut is ready, along with a brief description of what changed from the previous version.
Feedback deadline reminders: Your project manager follows up 24 hours before each feedback deadline to ensure your team is on track.
Status check-ins: For longer post-production timelines (three weeks or more), we send a brief mid-phase update confirming progress and flagging any timeline adjustments.
Handling Scope Changes in Post
If new footage, additional graphics, or revised content is requested that falls outside the original project scope, we will notify you in writing before any additional work begins. You will receive a clear description of the change, the estimated time and cost impact, and a formal change order for approval. No out-of-scope work is executed without written authorization.
Industry context: According to Clutch’s research on creative agency client satisfaction, clear communication and defined revision processes are among the top factors clients cite when rating agency relationships. Our structured review cycle is a direct response to the most common friction point in production partnerships.
Phase 5: Delivery and Project Wrap
Final delivery is not the end of the relationship; it is the conclusion of one chapter. We approach the wrap phase with the same attention to detail as the kickoff, ensuring nothing is left ambiguous and everything is properly handed off.
What Final Delivery Includes
Upon written sign-off on the final cut, you receive:
Master files in your specified format and resolution (H.264, ProRes, or broadcast spec, depending on distribution needs)
Derivative assets as outlined in the project scope (social cuts, chapter markers, thumbnail files, subtitle files, etc.)
Archive access confirmation, detailing where raw footage and project files are stored and for how long
Project Wrap Communication
Delivery confirmation email: Sent at the time of file transfer, with a checklist of every deliverable included
Project recap document: A one-page summary of the project, covering original scope, any approved changes, final deliverables, and key contacts for future reference
Asset retention notice: We retain raw footage and project files for a standard period of 12 months post-delivery. If you anticipate needing access beyond that window, notify us at wrap so we can make appropriate arrangements.
Post-Project Support
If questions arise after delivery, your project manager remains your point of contact for 30 days post-wrap for any technical issues related to the delivered files. After that period, new requests are handled as a fresh engagement.
For clients with ongoing production needs, we offer retained service arrangements that maintain a dedicated team and priority scheduling. Ask your project manager about this option during the wrap conversation.
A Note on Ongoing Relationships
Many of our longest-standing client relationships, including multi-year partnerships with institutions like Harvard Business School and organizations across the biotech and investor relations sectors, began as single projects.
The wrap phase is where we ask for honest feedback and where we listen most carefully. If something did not work as well as it should have, we want to know.
You can explore our client portfolio to see the range of organizations we have partnered with, and visit our about page to learn more about the team behind every project.
Communication Standards Across Every Phase
Regardless of which phase a project is in, a few principles govern how the Charles River Media team communicates with every client.
Response Time Commitments
Inquiry Type | Response Target |
|---|---|
General project questions | Within one business day |
Urgent on-set or event-day issues | Within one hour during active production |
Scope change requests | Within two business days with written assessment |
File delivery or technical issues post-wrap | Within one business day for 30 days post-delivery |
Preferred Communication Channels
We default to email for all project documentation, approvals, and status updates. This creates a written record that protects both parties. For real-time coordination during active production, we use phone or a designated group messaging channel established at kickoff.
We do not manage project approvals through social media, informal messaging apps, or verbal agreements alone. If a decision is made verbally, your project manager will follow up with a written confirmation within 24 hours.
When Things Change
No production is immune to change. Locations fall through, talent schedules shift, weather intervenes. When a change affects your timeline, budget, or deliverables, you will hear from us before we act, not after. Our commitment is to bring you the problem and the proposed solution at the same time, so that every conversation moves the project forward rather than just surfacing a new obstacle.
Ready to start a project? Contact the Charles River Media team to discuss your goals, and we will walk you through exactly how our process applies to your specific needs.