Working with an Overseas Rendering Studio: NDAs, W-8BEN, and Invoicing
Lukas Berezowiec · CEO of NoTriangle Studio
Updated · 6 minutes
Key takeaways
Engaging a studio based abroad raises a few practical questions for a US client, and none of them are complicated once you know how they are handled.
- NDAs
- We are glad to sign a non-disclosure agreement before any files change hands.
- Tax form
- As a foreign entity, we provide a W-8BEN instead of a US W-9.
- Invoicing
- Invoices can be directed to a specified entity or end client.
- Time zones
- We work US hours, so calls, reviews, and turnaround run on your schedule.
A lot of the best visualization work is produced by studios that are not down the road from you. For a US client, engaging a studio based abroad raises a few reasonable, practical questions, about confidentiality, tax paperwork, payment, and time zones. None of them are complicated once you know how they are handled.
Here are the answers, so onboarding a non-US studio never holds up the start of the work.
Confidentiality and NDAs
Pre-launch and confidential projects are common, and they are handled securely regardless of where the studio sits. We are glad to sign a non-disclosure agreement before any files change hands, and to keep the work off our own portfolio and channels where confidentiality requires it. Working with an overseas studio does not change any of this.
The W-8BEN That Replaces a W-9
This is the question accounts teams ask most. NoTriangle Studio is a company registered outside the US, so we do not issue a US W-9. As a foreign entity, we provide a W-8BEN instead, which is the document a US client needs from a non-US company in place of a W-9.
It gives your team everything required to set us up as a vendor and handle the paperwork correctly. Just ask and we send it before the first invoice, so the tax side never delays kickoff.
Payment and Invoicing
Most projects begin with a deposit, with the balance tied to delivery or to milestones on larger engagements. We accept bank transfer and card, and card payments may carry a processing fee. We do not accept checks. The exact structure is confirmed in the proposal.
Invoices can be directed to a specified entity or end client, which is common when an agency or architect engages us on a developer’s behalf. We work primarily in USD, with other currency arrangements confirmed per project. For larger projects, billing can be staged across milestones to match your calendar.
Time Zones and Communication
A studio being abroad only matters if it makes communication harder, and it should not. We work US hours, so calls, reviews, and turnaround run on your schedule rather than against it. A dedicated project manager keeps everything in one thread, which is what actually determines how a remote engagement feels day to day.
It is also worth asking any studio, local or not, whether the work is produced in-house or subcontracted. Everything we produce, from exterior and interior renderings to animation, is done in-house by our own team, which is a bigger factor in consistency than geography ever is.
FAQs
Do you provide a W-9 for US clients?+
No. As a company registered outside the US we provide a W-8BEN instead, which is the document a US client needs from a non-US company in place of a W-9. We send it before the first invoice.
Will you sign an NDA?+
Yes. We sign an NDA before files change hands and handle confidential pre-launch projects securely.
How do we pay, and can you invoice a specific entity?+
Most projects start with a deposit, balance on delivery or milestones. We accept bank transfer and card, not checks, and can direct invoices to a specified entity or end client.
Can you bill in another currency?+
We work primarily in USD, with other currency arrangements confirmed per project.
How do you handle time zones?+
We work US hours, with a dedicated project manager keeping communication in one thread, so reviews and turnaround run on your schedule.
