When a client asks for a video in French, they are actually asking for one of two very different things, and they almost never say which. Delivering the wrong one costs a full reshoot.

Two requests behind the same word

Quebec French speaks to the market here: local vocabulary, references and accent. International French targets a broad francophone audience, often for training, software or export. They are two distinct deliverables, not two levels of quality.

The question to ask before filming

One is enough: where will this video run? If the answer is Quebec, you film in Quebec French. If it is France, francophone Africa or a mixed audience, you neutralise. If the client hesitates, it means they have not decided, and now is the moment to settle it, not after the edit.

Neutralising is not erasing your accent

Nobody is asked to change their voice. You remove expressions and references that are too local, slow down slightly, and pick words understood everywhere. A Quebec creator who neutralises well stays perfectly natural: they change register, not identity.

It gets billed

Writing a neutral version is real script work: rereading, replacing terms, sometimes a second take. It is a line on the quote, not a favour. Many creators give it away the first time and regret it by the third.

The advantage of doing both

A creator who can deliver the Quebec version and the international version of the same content sells two files instead of one, and becomes the obvious choice for a brand selling in Quebec and elsewhere. It is the most profitable double skill in this market.

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Frequently asked questions

Which question should I ask the client?

Where the video will run.

Is neutralising losing my accent?

No, it is changing register.

Should the neutral version be billed?

Yes, it is real script work.

Can I deliver both?

Yes, and it is the most profitable offer here.