Advice needed, trying to prove work done on a site/video!

Hi all,

I havn't posted here in a while, but as I know a lot of you are experienced creative industry workers I thought someone may be able to give me some advice in relation to a freelance job I did.

I am trying to extract late payment from a client for a web promo video I produced for an online shop. Foolishly, due to the last minute and rushed nature of this particular job I let the paperwork slide...(I know, I know...lesson already learned on this one!)

Until recently, because of the bad paperwork keeping, the only proof I had that the client had recieved the completed video was the website where it was being hosted/used...soon after I sent the client a payment reminder the website went offline - I thought I was screwed. BUT...it's now come back online and before I send in the collection agent etc, I want to get conclusive proof of the client using the video on the website. I'm looking for advice on the best way to do this. Should I cache the webpage? screen grab it or what? My fear is that they could just say I mocked up the screen grabs myself.

I know I've been foolish on this one, but I'm now in damage limitation mode! Any advice would be very gratefully accepted, cheers!

I would definitely take a snapshot of the web-page and also have a trusted 3rd party do the same. (Ask a lawyer/doctor/teacher friend - they like that sort of thing in blighty).


Perhaps try to capture the video playing on the web site with something like Snapz Pro or make a low-fi video capture with a regular videocamera. (Your digital camera would probably be able to film it if you don't have a camcorder).

It's really hard to fake a video of a film playing in someone's browser on their computer screen.

Aptmunich said:

Perhaps try to capture the video playing on the web site with something like Snapz Pro or make a low-fi video capture with a regular videocamera. (Your digital camera would probably be able to film it if you don't have a camcorder).

It's really hard to fake a video of a film playing in someone's browser on their computer screen.

Click to expand...

That's a wicked idea - Thanks! I don't know why I didn't think of that before, I'll be doing that as soon as I get back tonight!

for web-page screenshots i recommend Paparazzi, a helpful app that will take a screenshot of the whole web-page at once

michaelstumpf said:

for web-page screenshots i recommend Paparazzi, a helpful app that will take a screenshot of the whole web-page at once

Click to expand...

I like the look of this app, I'll definately use that in the future. Although in this case I think it will be more useful to evidence this job with conventional screen grabs so you can see it's a real site in a browser etc.