Terms of Service

1. Who we are

This website is operated by Kateryna Lokhnina, working as KatLok Studio (the “Studio”, “we”, “us”, “our”), a sole proprietorship based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

KatLok Studio is an architect-led visual studio producing creative direction, campaign video, campaign imagery, and cinemagraphs for beauty and fashion brands.

2. Acceptance of these terms

By using this website, you agree to the provisions of these Terms that relate to website access and use.

Sending an enquiry, email, or message does not by itself create a client engagement or reserve production capacity. A service engagement begins only as described in section 7.

When these Terms are incorporated into a signed service agreement, they form part of the agreement between the Studio and the client.

3. Who these terms are for

The Studio provides services to businesses, brands, and their authorised representatives. By engaging the Studio for services, you confirm that you are at least 18 years old and are acting for a business, or are authorised to act on behalf of the business you name.

The website itself may be viewed by anyone.

4. What this website is

This website presents the Studio's work, approach, and service formats. It is an introduction, not a shop.

• Nothing on this website is a binding offer.
• Any prices shown are indicative starting points in US dollars, provided so that a prospective client can judge fit before a conversation. Final pricing depends on scope and is confirmed in writing.
• Availability, formats, timelines, and prices may change at any time without notice.
• Presentations and brochures linked from this website or sent in response to an enquiry, including materials hosted on third party platforms such as Canva, are marketing materials unless a signed service agreement expressly incorporates them into the agreed scope.

5. Our services, workflow, approvals, and revisions

The Studio produces visual content under its own creative direction, including:

• creative direction, being the concept, mood, and visual language of a campaign, agreed before production
• campaign video, normally up to 25 seconds unless otherwise agreed
• campaign imagery, being product and editorial stills
• cinemagraphs, being short-form motion, normally 5 to 7 seconds unless otherwise agreed

These are offered as single assets, project packages, seasonal and holiday packages, and monthly subscription plans. Exact deliverables are confirmed for each client in writing.

Work is built within the client's existing brand identity. Unless expressly agreed otherwise, the Studio does not provide brand identity systems, logo design, naming, legal review, or copywriting services.

5.1 Concepts and stages

Unless a signed agreement states otherwise, each project or campaign proceeds through defined creative stages. A stage may include concept development, visual development, production, editing, or another stage identified in the project scope.

The Studio will request written approval before moving from an approval stage to the next stage. Approval may be given by email or another written project communication agreed by the parties.

Once the client gives clear written approval of a stage, that stage is closed. A later request to change an approved stage is outside the included revision scope and may require additional fees and a revised schedule, unless the Studio agrees otherwise in writing.

5.2 Revision rounds

Unless otherwise stated in the signed agreement, the client receives two revision rounds per stage.

A revision round means one consolidated set of feedback submitted at one time by the client's designated representative. The client is responsible for collecting and consolidating feedback from its internal stakeholders before sending it to the Studio.

A revision refines the approved direction. A request for a materially different concept, direction, product, setting, composition, or campaign approach is a scope change rather than a revision.

Unused revision rounds do not carry forward from one stage to another.

Additional revisions or scope changes may be accepted subject to Studio availability, additional fees, and a revised schedule.

5.3 Client feedback and delays

The client is asked to provide approvals and requested feedback within five business days, unless another period is agreed for the project.

Silence is not approval. The Studio will not be required to continue into a stage that depends on client approval until that approval is received.

Client delay will extend the schedule by at least the period of delay, and revised production and delivery dates are subject to the Studio's then-current availability.

If the Studio is waiting for required client communication for 30 calendar days, the Studio may place the project into inactive status and release the reserved production slot. Inactive status does not create a right to a refund and does not reserve the client's original production schedule or delivery dates indefinitely. If the client returns within six months after the project became inactive, the remaining original scope may be resumed subject to the Studio's then-current availability, unless the scope has materially changed.

If the project remains inactive for more than six months, the Studio is not required to complete the remaining work at the original pricing. Before work resumes, the Studio may review and re-price the remaining uncompleted scope at its then-current rates and availability. Payments already earned or applied to work performed remain non-refundable and do not become a general credit or gift balance. Any new or materially changed scope will be quoted separately. Extended inactivity does not reserve the client's original rates, production schedule, or delivery dates indefinitely.

5.4 Package changes

Once an engagement begins, a package may not be downgraded unless the Studio expressly agrees otherwise in writing.

The client may request additional deliverables or an upgrade to a larger package, subject to Studio availability, additional fees, and any required schedule adjustment.

Removing, postponing, or deciding not to use one or more included deliverables does not reduce the agreed project fee.

6. Enquiries and messages

You can reach the Studio through the contact form on this website, by email, or through Instagram.

• Sending an enquiry does not create a contract and does not reserve production capacity.
• The Studio replies to enquiries at its discretion and may decline a project without giving reasons.
• Where Instagram messaging is used, an automated reply may be sent through Instagram's tools to acknowledge a message or share a link to the Studio's service presentation. Meta operates those platform features under its own terms and privacy practices.
• By sending an enquiry, you agree that the Studio may reply by email or message about that enquiry. You will not be added to a marketing list without separate consent.

7. How an engagement begins and which documents govern

A project engagement begins only when both of the following have happened:

1. a written service agreement has been signed by both parties, and
2. the initial payment or project deposit stated in that agreement has been received.

A subscription engagement begins when the signed subscription agreement is in effect and the first monthly subscription fee has been received.

Unless a signed agreement expressly states otherwise, documents govern in the following order if there is a conflict:

1. the signed service agreement, subscription agreement, or statement of work
2. any proposal expressly incorporated into that signed agreement
3. these Terms of Service
4. invoices, for payment details and amounts consistent with the agreed scope

Marketing presentations, brochures, website descriptions, and informal discussions do not change the signed scope unless the parties expressly confirm the change in writing.

8. Fees, payment, delivery, and subscriptions

The following summarises the Studio's standard commercial terms. The exact commercial terms for an engagement are those stated in the signed agreement.

8.1 Currency and taxes

• Fees are quoted in US dollars unless otherwise agreed.
• Canadian dollars may be agreed on request.
• Applicable taxes are added where required by law.

8.2 Project packages

Unless otherwise agreed, project packages are invoiced as:

• 50 percent initial payment or project deposit before production begins, and
• 50 percent final balance after final approval and before release of final clean files.

The Studio may provide watermarked or otherwise protected review files during production and for final approval.

After the client gives final written approval, the Studio issues or confirms the final balance. Final unwatermarked, clean, and full-resolution deliverables are released only after the final balance has been received in cleared funds.

Until full payment is received, review files are supplied for review only and may not be published, distributed, used in advertising, or otherwise commercially used.

8.3 Monthly subscriptions

Subscription services are billed 100 percent monthly in advance on the billing date stated in the subscription agreement.

Unless otherwise stated in the signed agreement, a subscription has a minimum initial term of three months. The client remains responsible for all subscription fees during that minimum term whether or not the client uses the full monthly scope or production capacity available under the subscription.

During the minimum term, the Studio reserves the production capacity included in the subscription for the client. Unused services, deliverables, revision capacity, or production capacity do not roll over, create a credit, reduce a later invoice, or entitle the client to a refund unless the Studio agrees otherwise in writing.

After the initial three-month minimum term, the subscription continues on a month-to-month basis until either party gives at least 30 days' written notice of cancellation. A cancellation notice given during the minimum term cannot take effect before the end of the minimum term.

By providing an agreed payment method and signing a subscription agreement that authorises recurring billing, the client authorises the Studio or its payment processor to charge the monthly subscription fee and applicable taxes on each billing date until the subscription ends in accordance with the agreement.

Any change to subscription pricing or included scope after the minimum term will be communicated and agreed in writing before it takes effect.

8.4 Failed and late payments

If a required payment is not received or a scheduled subscription payment fails, the Studio may pause work immediately. While work is paused for non-payment, delivery dates and production timelines cease to apply. Work resumes after successful payment and is then scheduled according to the Studio's current availability.

Late payments may accrue interest at 2 percent per month, being 26.82 percent per year, or the maximum amount permitted by applicable law if lower.

9. Cancellation, suspension, and termination

9.1 Client cancellation of a project

Once a project engagement has begun, the client may cancel the remaining work by giving written notice.

Unless the Studio agrees otherwise in writing:

• the initial payment or project deposit is non-refundable once production has begun or production capacity has been reserved for the project
• the Studio is not required to complete work the client has cancelled
• no further unpaid portion of the original project fee becomes due solely because of that client cancellation, unless the signed agreement states otherwise
• work that has not been fully paid for remains the Studio's working material and no usage rights are granted in it

If the client requests cancellation before production begins, the Studio may, at its discretion, agree in writing to refund all or part of the initial payment.

9.2 Mutual termination

The Studio and the client may agree at any time in writing to end an engagement on mutually accepted terms, including any agreed refund, retained amount, final delivery, or release of further obligations.

Where appropriate, the parties may record the termination in a separate written termination and release agreement.

9.3 Studio suspension or termination

The Studio may suspend or terminate an engagement for non-payment, material breach of the agreement, unlawful instructions, or conduct that makes continued performance unreasonable.

Where the Studio terminates an engagement for reasons not caused by the client's breach and the Studio will not complete prepaid services, the Studio will refund prepaid fees attributable to services that will not be performed, subject to any different written agreement between the parties.

Termination does not affect payment obligations, confidentiality obligations, intellectual property provisions, or other terms that by their nature are intended to continue after the engagement ends.

10. Client materials and client responsibilities

For the Studio to work, a client may supply materials such as product photography, logos, fonts, colours, brand guidelines, reference images, approved copy, voice-over material, music, or other assets.

By supplying materials to the Studio, the client confirms that:

• it owns those materials or holds all rights and permissions needed to use them and to allow the Studio to use them for the project
• the materials do not infringe another party's copyright, trademark, image rights, privacy rights, or other rights
• it has all necessary consents for any person appearing in materials it supplies
• the materials and instructions comply with applicable law, including advertising and product-claim rules in the client's market

Unless copywriting or legal review is expressly included in the signed scope, the client is responsible for providing and approving final copy, product claims, ingredient statements, pricing, voice-over wording, legally required disclosures, and other regulated or factual wording used in the deliverables.

The client agrees to indemnify the Studio against third-party claims, losses, or reasonable expenses arising from client-supplied materials, rights the client did not have, or wording and claims the client supplied or approved for use.

10.1 Third-party music and creative assets

Where the client supplies music, fonts, photography, video, logos, or other third-party material, the client is responsible for ensuring that the intended commercial use is properly licensed.

If the Studio proposes a third-party asset that requires a separate commercial licence, the Studio will identify that requirement before the asset is incorporated into final deliverables. Any separate licence cost must be approved and either paid by the client or included in the agreed project cost.

Availability of an asset inside editing software, a social platform, or a music library does not by itself constitute a Studio guarantee that the asset is licensed for every form of commercial use or paid advertising.

10.2 Physical products

If the client and the Studio agree that a physical product will be shipped to the Studio, shipping arrangements, insurance, return requirements, and any special handling requirements should be confirmed in writing before shipment.

The client bears the risk and cost of packing, shipping, customs, and carrier insurance while a product is in transit to or from the Studio, unless otherwise agreed in writing. While a product is in the Studio's possession, the Studio will use reasonable care in handling it for the agreed work.

A product will be returned only where return arrangements have been agreed with the client. Return shipping and insurance are the client's responsibility unless otherwise agreed.

11. Intellectual property and usage rights

11.1 Client use of final deliverables

On full payment, the client receives a perpetual, worldwide commercial licence and contractual permission to use the final deliverables for the client's own business, marketing, advertising, and commercial communications, including social media, websites, email, paid advertising, print, packaging inserts, presentations, retailer pages, and retail screens.

The client may permit its employees, agencies, contractors, media partners, retailers, distributors, and service providers to use the final deliverables solely on the client's behalf and for the client's business and marketing purposes.

The client may not sell, license, or transfer the final deliverables as standalone creative assets for an unrelated third party's independent use unless the Studio agrees in writing.

Until full payment is received, no commercial usage rights are granted.

11.2 Studio materials and working files

The Studio retains its rights in working files, prompts, production methods, workflows, style systems, source scenes, tests, rejected drafts, and other production materials that are not expressly identified as final deliverables. These materials are part of the Studio's working method and are not transferred with the final deliverables.

11.3 AI-generated material and copyright

Deliverables are produced in whole or in part using generative AI tools under the Studio's creative direction, art direction, editing, selection, and quality control.

The legal protection available for AI-assisted or AI-generated material may differ by jurisdiction and may change over time. The Studio does not warrant that every element of a deliverable is independently protectable by copyright or that the client will be able to prevent all third parties from creating similar material.

The usage rights granted in this section govern the relationship between the Studio and the client regardless of the extent to which copyright or other exclusive rights subsist in a particular AI-generated element.

11.4 Exact deliverables and creative similarity

The Studio will not knowingly resell or re-license the client's exact final deliverables to another unrelated client as that other client's campaign assets.

Unless the signed agreement expressly grants a broader form of exclusivity, the client does not receive exclusivity over general ideas, themes, genres, visual devices, colour families, techniques, production methods, compositions, lighting approaches, workflows, prompts, or other elements of creative practice.

The Studio may create work for other clients that uses similar themes, techniques, visual devices, or creative ingredients, provided the Studio does not intentionally reproduce the client's commissioned final campaign as a duplicate, continuation, or materially indistinguishable adaptation of that client's specific creative world.

Similarity arising from common creative trends, client briefs, generative-model behaviour, broadly used visual language, or independently developed ideas does not by itself establish copying or breach of these Terms.

12. Portfolio, references, and non-public work

12.1 Public portfolio use

The Studio will not publish a client's final deliverable as a new standalone public Studio post without separate client permission.

Once the client has made the relevant work public, the Studio may:

• repost or share the client's public publication
• share it in Stories or portfolio highlights
• use a screenshot, thumbnail, or link to the client's public publication in the Studio's portfolio
• identify the client in connection with that publicly released work

These rights remain subject to any specific written confidentiality or usage restriction agreed with the client.

12.2 Private presentation of work

The Studio may privately display selected work, unused concepts, process examples, or work-in-progress during live one-to-one or small-group business presentations to prospective clients as examples of the Studio's capabilities, provided that doing so does not reveal an unreleased product, confidential launch information, material expressly marked confidential, or another confidentiality obligation binding on the Studio.

Non-public material shown under this paragraph will not be distributed, provided for download, or publicly posted without permission.

13. How the work is produced: generative AI and third-party platforms

13.1 AI production

The Studio produces its work using generative AI tools and creative software operated under the Studio's own creative direction, art direction, editing, selection, and quality control. The Studio does not present AI-produced work as photography captured on a physical set where no such physical photography occurred.

13.2 Independent third-party platforms

The Studio relies on independent third-party AI platforms, editing tools, hosting providers, and creative software as part of its production process. The Studio does not control those companies, their infrastructure, or their future policies.

Each third-party platform has its own terms of service, privacy policy, commercial-use rules, storage practices, technical settings, and data practices. Those terms and settings may differ by plan or feature and may change over time without advance notice to the Studio.

Depending on the platform, plan, and feature used, a third-party platform may process, store, retain, analyse, display, or otherwise handle uploaded client materials or generated outputs, and may use subcontractors or infrastructure providers in doing so. Some platforms or features may also permit content to be used for system improvement or may make certain generated content visible to other users.

To the Studio's reasonable knowledge at the time of use, the Studio selects services and subscription arrangements intended to permit the commercial production and use contemplated by the client engagement. The Studio cannot guarantee that a third-party provider will not later change its terms, technical behaviour, or policies.

13.3 Confidentiality obligations of the Studio

The Studio will treat non-public client materials, non-public product imagery, briefs, brand materials, campaign information, and other non-public project information as confidential within the Studio's own operations.

The Studio will not intentionally publish, publicly disclose, or use those non-public materials for public self-promotion before the client makes the relevant work public, unless the client gives written permission.

The Studio may share client materials only with people and service providers reasonably required to perform or administer the engagement, subject to the production-platform limitations described in this section and any specific confidentiality obligations agreed in writing.

13.4 Limits of confidentiality on third-party production platforms

Because generative AI production requires the use of independent third-party services, the Studio cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality, non-retention, non-training, or non-disclosure of material processed through those services.

The Studio will use commercially reasonable care when selecting production platforms and available privacy settings for the work. Where reasonably available and compatible with the required creative result, the Studio may prefer paid, private, or non-public modes and settings that limit public visibility or unnecessary use of uploaded material.

The Studio will not intentionally upload non-essential confidential business documents, such as internal strategy documents, financial information, or confidential launch plans, where those documents are not needed to produce the agreed visual work.

The client acknowledges that using third-party generative tools involves platform-level confidentiality and data-handling risks that cannot be completely eliminated or controlled by the Studio.

13.5 Projects requiring heightened confidentiality

If a client has a requirement that particular materials must not be processed through public-by-default features, must remain subject to specific technical or contractual privacy restrictions, or require a higher level of confidentiality than the Studio's standard production workflow, the client must communicate that requirement in writing before the relevant production begins.

The Studio may then assess alternative platforms, plans, or production methods. Additional research, software, subscription costs, or production time required to meet heightened confidentiality requirements may be quoted separately and must be approved by the client before the Studio incurs them.

If the requested creative result cannot reasonably be produced within the client's required confidentiality limits, the Studio may propose an alternative approach or decline the affected stage or project.

A confidentiality restriction communicated after material has already been processed cannot apply retroactively to that prior processing.

13.6 Third-party platform responsibility

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Studio is not responsible for independent acts, omissions, outages, policy changes, security incidents, retention practices, or technical behaviour of third-party platforms that are outside the Studio's reasonable control, provided that the Studio has not breached an express confidentiality obligation in the signed agreement or an obligation that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Material processed through a public or public-by-default feature may be seen, saved, or reproduced by third parties. Where the Studio knows before use that a required feature will make client material public or publicly discoverable, the Studio will inform the client before using that feature for non-public client material and will obtain the client's direction on whether to proceed or use an alternative.

14. No guarantee of results

The Studio produces visual content. It does not guarantee sales, reach, engagement, follower growth, advertising performance, conversion rates, or any other commercial outcome from the use of its deliverables. Results depend on the client's product, pricing, audience, media spend, timing, distribution, and many factors outside the Studio's control.

Where the Studio shares examples, past projects, or performance observations, these are illustrations and not a promise of comparable results.

15. Website content

All text, images, video, layout, and design on this website are owned by the Studio or used with permission and are protected by copyright and other applicable rights to the extent those rights subsist.

You may view and share links to this website. You may not copy, reproduce, republish, scrape, or use any part of this website for commercial purposes, or to train any machine learning or AI system, without the Studio's prior written permission, except to the extent such restriction is not permitted by applicable law.

Brand names or trademarks belonging to third parties that may appear on this website remain the property of their owners and are shown for reference only.

16. Acceptable use

You agree not to use this website to attempt unauthorised access, interfere with its operation or security, send automated or bulk enquiries, submit unlawful, misleading, or infringing content, or collect data from it by automated means except as permitted by applicable law.

17. Links to other services

This website and the Studio's messages may link to third-party services, including Canva-hosted presentations, Instagram, payment services, and email platforms. The Studio does not control those services and is not responsible for their content, availability, or independent privacy practices. Use of those services is also subject to their own terms.

18. Your information

The Studio collects and uses limited personal and business information for enquiries, contracting, payment, project administration, and delivery of services.

• Information you provide. This may include your name, email address, company, website, Instagram handle, phone number, project information, brand information, billing information, and anything you choose to send by contact form, email, message, contract, or project communication.
• Technical information. Website hosting, security, email, or infrastructure providers may automatically process limited technical information such as IP addresses, timestamps, server logs, browser or device information, and security-related data. The Studio does not currently use third-party advertising pixels or behavioural advertising trackers on this website.
• Purpose. Information is used to answer enquiries, prepare proposals, enter and administer agreements, take payment, provide services, maintain business records, protect the Studio's systems, and comply with legal obligations.
• Consent to reply. Sending an enquiry allows the Studio to reply about that enquiry. The Studio will not add a person to a newsletter or general marketing list without the consent required by applicable law.
• Service providers. Information may be processed by providers reasonably required to operate the Studio, such as website hosting, email, contracting, invoicing, payment, cloud, communication, and production service providers. Client production materials are also subject to section 13.
• Cross-border processing. Some service providers may process or store information outside Canada, including in the United States or other countries in which they or their service providers operate, where the information may be subject to local law.
• No sale of personal information. The Studio does not sell or rent personal information as a business practice.
• Retention. Information is kept for as long as reasonably needed for the purpose for which it was collected, to administer the client relationship, and to satisfy applicable business, tax, legal, accounting, or dispute-related requirements.
• Access, correction, and deletion requests. You may contact katerina@katlokstudio.com to ask about personal information the Studio holds about you, request a correction, or request deletion where the Studio is not legally or reasonably required to retain the information.

19. Disclaimer

This website is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. The Studio does not warrant that the website will be uninterrupted, error free, or free of harmful components, and does not warrant that information on it is complete or current at every moment.

20. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law:

• the Studio is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, punitive, or consequential loss, including lost profit, lost revenue, lost opportunity, lost data, or reputational harm arising from or connected with the website or an engagement
• the Studio's total aggregate liability arising from or connected with a specific project is limited to the total fees actually paid to the Studio for that project
• for an ongoing subscription, the Studio's total aggregate liability arising from or connected with the subscription is limited to the subscription fees actually paid for the three billing periods immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim
• for a website visitor who is not a client, the Studio's total liability arising from use of the website is limited to one hundred Canadian dollars

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited under applicable law.

21. Force majeure

Neither party is responsible for failure or delay caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including platform outages, material loss of access to production tools, network failure, serious illness or incapacity, government action, labour disruption, natural events, or other comparable circumstances outside reasonable control.

The affected party will communicate the material delay as soon as reasonably possible, and the project schedule will be adjusted in good faith.

If such an event makes completion of the affected services impracticable for a prolonged period, either party may request termination of the affected services. If the Studio will not perform prepaid services because of such termination, prepaid amounts attributable to services that will not be performed will be refunded, less any amounts properly earned or non-refundable third-party costs already approved for the engagement.

22. Changes to these terms

The Studio may update these Terms from time to time. The version published on this page, with the date shown at the top, is the current website version.

An update to the website Terms does not retroactively change Terms already incorporated into a signed client agreement. The version incorporated into that signed agreement continues to govern that engagement unless the parties agree otherwise in writing.

23. Governing law and disputes

These Terms and any engagement incorporating them are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable in Ontario, except to the extent another law must apply and cannot lawfully be excluded.

The parties will first attempt in good faith to resolve any dispute through direct discussion. If the dispute is not resolved, it is subject to the courts of Ontario, and each party submits to that jurisdiction to the extent permitted by applicable law.

24. General

If any provision of these Terms is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect.

A failure or delay in enforcing a provision is not a waiver of that provision.

Approvals, scope changes, and other project decisions may be confirmed in writing by email or another written communication method used by the parties for the engagement.

The client may not assign a client engagement to another unrelated business without the Studio's written consent. The Studio may continue the engagement through a successor business entity or reorganised Studio structure, provided the client's agreed services and material rights are not reduced.

Headings are for convenience and do not affect interpretation.

25. Contact

These Terms were prepared for KatLok Studio's own use and are not legal advice. Because the Studio uses generative AI tools, recurring subscriptions, and cross-border service providers, review by an Ontario lawyer is recommended before relying on these Terms for material client engagements.