Clear terms, plainly stated.

File retention & storage

We retain delivered DCPs and associated project files on our systems for no longer than 30 days after delivery. After that period, files are permanently deleted from our storage as a matter of course.

This does not apply if you have purchased our cloud storage service, which keeps your DCP available for one year with unlimited downloads and 24/7 access. See our pricing page for rates.

Clients are responsible for downloading and backing up their own deliverables. Once the retention period has passed, we cannot recover or re-send a deleted DCP, and recreating it will be treated as a new order at standard rates. We are not liable for any loss resulting from a client's failure to download files within the retention window.

Source materials you send us are subject to the same 30-day window unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Payment & delivery

DCPs are not delivered until payment has been received in full. We will notify you when your DCP is complete and has passed QC, and delivery follows once the invoice has cleared.

Invoices are due upon receipt unless other terms have been agreed in writing. Stripe is our payment processor — we accept debit card, credit card, ACH bank transfer, and any other method Stripe offers at the time of payment. We do not accept checks. Cleared funds are required before release, and for physical media, shipping is arranged once payment clears.

Established festival partners and recurring clients may be offered net terms at our discretion.

Quotes & pricing

Quotes are based on the information you provide — runtime, source format, resolution, and turnaround. If the delivered materials differ materially from what was quoted (a longer runtime, a different source format, additional versions, or unexpected conform work), we will contact you with a revised quote before proceeding. We will never perform additional billable work without your approval.

Quotes are valid for 30 days. Published rates are subject to change, but any quote you have accepted is honored at the quoted price.

Turnaround times

Turnaround begins when we have received all final materials (picture, audio, subtitles or captions, and any required assets) and, where applicable, payment or an agreed payment arrangement — not from the time of initial inquiry.

Business days are Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Same-day and one-day turnarounds are subject to availability and should be confirmed with us before you rely on them for a deadline.

If materials arrive incomplete or out of spec, the clock starts when corrected materials are received.

Client-supplied materials

You are responsible for supplying materials that accurately represent your finished film. We build the DCP from what you send us. Please provide:

• A final, locked picture in a high-quality format (ProRes 422 HQ or better recommended)
• Audio at the correct channel assignment and level for theatrical playback
• Any subtitle or caption files (.srt) required
• Accurate frame rate, aspect ratio, and color space information

We will flag issues we spot in your source material, but defects present in the materials you supply — soft focus, audio distortion, sync problems baked into the master — cannot be corrected by the DCP process and are not grounds for a refund.

Quality control

Every DCP we deliver includes a full frame-level QC report, reviewed by a real person, at no extra charge. We check playback, audio channel routing, and DCI compliance before your DCP leaves our hands.

Our QC confirms that the DCP is correctly built, compliant, and plays as intended. It does not evaluate creative choices in your film, and it cannot fix problems that exist in the source material you supplied.

Revisions & re-encodes

If a delivered DCP has a defect caused by an error on our end, we will fix it and redeliver at no charge, as quickly as we can — and if it's threatening a screening, we treat it as an emergency.

Changes requested after delivery that are not the result of our error — a new cut, a revised title card, corrected audio, a different aspect ratio — require a new encode and are billed as a new order. Please report any suspected issue within 7 days of delivery so we can address it while your files are still on our systems.

Cancellations & refunds

If you cancel before work has begun, you receive a full refund. If you cancel after encoding has started, we will bill for work completed to that point and refund the balance.

Once a DCP has been completed, passed QC, and delivered, the order is considered fulfilled and is non-refundable — except where the DCP is defective due to our error, in which case we will correct it under our revisions policy above. Hard drives and physical media are non-refundable once shipped.

Rights & ownership

You own your film. We never claim any ownership in your work. By submitting materials to us, you confirm that you hold the necessary rights to the content — including picture, music, and any third-party material — and that creating a DCP from it does not infringe anyone's rights.

You retain full ownership of the completed DCP. We may reference your film by title in our client list or portfolio unless you ask us not to — just tell us, and we won't.

Encryption & KDMs

Encrypted DCPs require a Key Delivery Message (KDM) for each server and date range. KDMs are billed $50 per key request.

To issue a KDM we need the target server's certificate and the exact playback window. Please allow reasonable lead time — KDM requests made close to showtime cannot be guaranteed. We are not responsible for a failed screening caused by incorrect server details supplied to us or by a last-minute key request.

Shipping & physical media

Shipping costs are billed in addition to media costs and are the client's responsibility. We ship promptly and provide tracking, but once a package is in the carrier's hands, we are not responsible for carrier delays, damage, or loss.

If your screening depends on physical delivery, please build in buffer time and let us know the hard deadline so we can advise on the right shipping method. Client-supplied drives must be delivered to us in working, properly formatted condition.

Confidentiality

Your film is confidential. We do not share, screen, distribute, or discuss your work with anyone outside our team without your permission. Files are stored on our own systems, not on third-party consumer platforms.

We're happy to sign an NDA — just send it over with your project.

Limitation of liability

We take screenings seriously, and we work hard to make sure nothing goes wrong. That said, our liability for any claim relating to an order is limited to the amount you paid for that order.

We are not liable for indirect or consequential losses — including lost festival slots, lost revenue, or venue costs — arising from delays, carrier problems, incorrect materials supplied to us, third-party equipment failure, or circumstances outside our reasonable control.

Changes to these policies

We may update these policies from time to time. The version posted on this page at the time you place your order is the version that applies to that order. Material changes will be reflected in the effective date above.

Questions about any of this? Email us — we'd rather explain it up front than surprise you later.