Lockup
The chase is locked when every element sits in register — nothing proud, nothing shy. Engagement shapes work the same way: each names a rhythm, who is at the bench, and what gets written down before work runs. These are not product tiers. They are compositions.
Every shape below closes with a written lockup. We do not quote amounts on this site; scope is defined in conversation and fixed in writing before the first mark is made.
A single brief brought to the bench for an honest read. We return a written assessment: what is clear, what is missing, and whether the line can hold. No production work until the read is accepted.
A defined period of composing work across agreed channels. Weekly written updates, one lockup at close. Rhythm is set at the start and kept in a shared document.
A full season mapped from first mark to last hand-over. Includes make-ready checks at each gate and a standing side-stick line for questions that arrive mid-run.
Concentrated composing for a fixed launch window. Tympan rules apply: what is protected, what is held back, who stands between draft and channel.
A standing place at the bench for organisations that need composed counsel without a full season. Monthly written notes, no open-ended retainer language.
Choosing a shape is a conversation, not a checkout. Most clients begin with a first reading and expand into a season once the line is proven. Others arrive with a launch date already set and need a run composed under tympan rules. The Chase Door explains how to start. We answer shape questions by mail during studio hours — no forms, no automated scheduling links.
Each shape can stand alone or combine across a year — a first reading in March, a launch run in June, an advisory seat through December. What does not change is the written close: every shape ends with a lockup that names what was decided and what comes next. We do not leave engagements open-ended in language or in scope.
If you are unsure which shape fits, write to [email protected] with your timeline and constraint. We will suggest a shape in reply — not to sell, but to name the composition that matches the brief. Include the channels already in motion and the date you need a lockup signed, if one is fixed.
lockup.close · shapes
The shape is named before the work runs.
Shapes can follow one another across a year without becoming a retainer by default. A first reading in one quarter may prove the line; a launch run in the next executes under tympan rules; an advisory seat through year-end gives a brand lead bench access while internal teams run channels. Each transition requires a new lockup — we do not roll scope forward by silence.
What stays constant is the written close: deliverables named, deferrals listed, ownership clarified, and next reads scheduled where continuation makes sense. Auto-renewal language does not appear in our documents. If work continues, both sides sign a fresh shape before the next mark is made.
Narrative builds suit repositioning quarters where language must shift before channels multiply. Campaign seasons suit launches with sustain beats and standing make-ready. Launch runs suit fixed windows with explicit out-of-scope boundaries. Advisory seats suit brand leads who execute internally but need composed counsel on call. The shape names rhythm — not price — and every shape closes in writing.