Photo: Julian Ali

The Rules and all that..

We wish there were none, we really do!  But StudiowerksDC keeps it's rates down and having fabulous gear by being a self-operated studio. If we had to have a full-time studio manager, then it would be a lot more expensive.  Our ethos is that our clients are all pros and that we should look after the studio together.

This is the basics, the TERMS AND CONDITIONS have all the legalese.

PARKING
Three vehicles can park at the studio only; plenty of street parking surrounds us.  DO NOT allow clients/crew to park around the residential courtyard; they will be ticketed and towed.  Annoying our neighbors could mean we get shut down as we're in a residential area, so we are super strict regarding this.

CANCELLATION/CHANGING BOOKINGS
- There is a $100 non-refundable deposit per day to book the studio (The deposit will be taken off the total shoot amount)
- You must cancel 5 days before the shoot start date/time, or you will be charged the full amount. (Except for bad weather, read below)
- Time includes setup and pack-up, as well as returning the studio to its default setup.
- If you run over your booked time into someone else’s booking, you will be charged a $500 penalty!!!  Please don't.
- Invoices for all payments will be sent online; you can pay with a credit card/ApplePay or ACH.

STUDIO HOURS
The earliest you can arrive is 6 a.m. You must be locked up and driving away by 10 p.m. We are in a residential area and can continue to operate because our neighbors love us. A $500 penalty will be charged to your card if you breach this condition.

BAD WEATHER
If the DC Government declares a snow emergency and tells its minions not to come to work in DC, then you can cancel without penalty. I'm afraid a snow emergency in VA or MD does not count. This keeps it very simple and easy.

FIREARMS
No firearms are permitted in the studio unless you are a law enforcement officer. Be aware that it is ILLEGAL in D.C. to bring a firearm into the studio unless you have a D.C. concealed carry permit, and even then, we do not allow it for safety reasons.

IN GENERAL:

1- BE ON TIME
Your booking starts at the time you specified on the calendar. No prior set-you arrive early; you will be charged for the time (5 minutes is fine, of course; or pack-up time is allowed. If you just use common sense). 

**RUNNING OVER INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S BOOKING WILL RESULT IN BEING CHARGED $500**

2- RESET THE STUDIO
When you have finished your shoot, you are responsible for resetting the studio’s default setup for the next person. If it’s not reset, we will charge you a fee (min. $200) to put everything back.

3- BREAK OR DAMAGE SOMETHING?
If it happens, we won't be mad, but if you break something, we need you to pay for it to be repaired.  Please email us immediately so we can get a repair going; it's usually not a big deal.

4- LOCKUP
Please, please make sure you lock up when you leave!  You will be held responsible if you leave the place unlocked and it gets burgled.

More info on the FAQ page here!