At Squareshot, on-shoot approvals are part of per-hour projects. Whether it's in the studio or remotely, we schedule a shoot date & time together with you. In this article, we've described the main scenarios that can happen around organizing such events.
Here's the process of getting ready and confirming the shoot date with Squareshot.
When we confirm the shoot date
There are 2 steps to complete the booking:
Step 1. Put a soft hold
After we confirm the project scope of work by signing a proposal, we put a soft hold on a desired shoot date that fits both the studio's and your schedules.
Soft hold means that it's not a booked date and can be changed by you and/or the Squareshot team. It also helps us to secure the crew's availability for the chosen date. You'll need to confirm the shoot by completing the payment for the project.
Step 2. Confirm the shoot date
Once all the pre-production steps are completed (e.g. fitting, items delivery & prep), we proceed to the payment. Finalizing the invoice means the chosen soft hold date is confirmed.
If no pre-production steps are required, we can send an invoice for the project right when we put a soft hold on the shoot date.
How we confirm the shoot date
We use a Google Calendar to manage our studio bookings. To offer you a time slot, our Remote Producer will send an invitation for a Google Calendar event that will look like the following way:
Remote shoot invite
Our remote shoots take place in a WhatsApp chat that you'll access from a Google calendar invite:
Check the offered time of the event.
Join the WhatsApp chat via the link in the description.
Confirm that the time works for you by clicking 'Yes'.
If the time doesn't work for you, open the additional bar by clicking a down-arrow button.
Click 'Propose a new time' and find another time slot that is more convenient for you. The Squareshot Team will check & approve it afterward.
In-studio shoot invite
Our in-studio shoots take place in the NY or LA location that is shared in a Google calendar invite:
Check the offered time of the event.
Check the studio location address.
Get familiar with our rescheduling policy to avoid any misunderstanding.
Confirm that the time works for you by clicking 'Yes'. Propose another time slot as described in the point 5 above.
How to reschedule a shoot
Our per-hour project, both remote and in-studio sessions, can be rescheduled. To do so, follow the steps:
Reach out to the Remote Producer or Account Manager from the Squareshot Team notifying us about the change.
To avoid rescheduling fees, please make this request at least 24 hours before the photo shoot. Learn more about our rescheduling and cancelation policy here.
The Squareshot Team will re-send a Google Calendar invitation for the next possible time slot.
Note that when a shoot is rescheduled, the turnaround time will be extended by the number of days the shoot is delayed.
What to do if you fail to attend the shoot
If you can't attend the session on WhatsApp or fail to appear in the studio at the appointed time, we will reschedule it based on our availability.
However, a rescheduling fee will be charged if notice is given less than 24 hours but more than 2 hours before the start. A no-show fee will be charged if the notice is given less than 2 hours before the start or not given at all. Check our rescheduling and cancelation policy here.
Consistent failure to attend per-hour shoots or delays in responding to messages within remote participation can lead to additional late and no-show fees, as well as project completion delays. We highly recommend proactive communication to avoid these issues.
What to do if I don't want to be present at the shoot
On-shoot approval is mandatory for per-hour projects. It cannot be canceled, only rescheduled. Learn more about rescheduling terms.
There’s a reason why on-shoot approvals are required for per-hour projects:
Real-time decision-making: Per-hour projects are all about capturing your vision in the moment. Your feedback helps us adjust and refine on the spot, ensuring we get the results you need. Without on-shoot approvals, we can’t guarantee the final images will align with your goals.
Efficiency of the workflow: In Creative and Model per-hour projects, certain elements—like outfit styling, lighting adjustments, or set tweaks—are much easier to approve in real-time. Without your input, the final shots may not match your expectations, and reshooting would require booking another full session at the same cost.
For Catalog per-hour projects, you can switch to per-image projects, build a shot list, and avoid the requirement to be present at the shoot.
How to change the on-shoot approval before the shoot
If you've booked an in-studio shoot but can't attend physically, you can switch to remote approval at no extra cost. Please, notify your Account Manager at least 2 hours before the shoot.
Note that for full-body model projects, you can't switch to remote approval. In such cases, we reschedule the shoot according and apply our rescheduling terms.