From time to time, clients ask if they can have the raw footage (or rushes) from a shoot. It’s an understandable question, but in most cases, the answer is no—unless we’ve agreed otherwise beforehand. Here’s why.
You’re Paying for a Finished Product
When you work with us, you’re commissioning a final, polished video—not just the raw materials used to create it. It’s a bit like hiring a decorator to paint a room—once the job is done, you wouldn’t usually get the leftover paint, because what you’re really paying for is the finished result, not the materials used along the way.
File Sizes are Huge and Hard to Handle
Professional cameras capture footage in high-resolution formats (like 4K or RAW files), which can be hundreds of gigabytes. Transferring, storing, and managing these files can be impractical for clients who don’t have the right technical knowledge or software to handle them.
Transferring files is just part of the story
Almost always we shoot in a format called LOG which requires some more advanced editing knowledge to convert them into usable MP4 files that most clients or non professional editors have the ability to work with. The process of converting and exporting these files, let alone transferring the data, can take a big chunk of time – it’s not like sending documents or images.
Loss of Creative Control & Brand Consistency
Raw footage is just the building blocks of a great video. Without expert editing, colour grading, and sound design, it’s an incomplete product. If someone else were to edit the footage—especially a lower-cost editor—it could result in a subpar video that doesn’t reflect your brand (or ours) in the best light. Since our reputation is built on quality, we want to ensure that anything publicly associated with our work meets the high standards we’re known for.
Licensing & Copyright Issues
Another reason why we don’t release raw footage is to avoid it being repurposed in ways that weren’t intended—whether that’s being sold as stock footage, shared with third parties, or used out of context. Protecting both our work and our clients’ brand integrity is a key part of why we maintain control over the footage we create.
Protecting the Value of Our Work
When we quote for a video, the price that is agreed is for a final edit or edits. The reality is that transferring the rushes enables anyone to create multiple
When we create video content, we’re not just pressing record—we’re bringing years of expertise, high-end equipment, and a trained creative eye to every shot. The value of professional video production isn’t just in the final edit, but in the quality of the raw footage itself. With access to all the rushes and the ability to repurpose them for multiple videos, there is benefit from our skills, experience, and high-value, professional equipment without the cost that would typically come with producing separate projects. That’s why our pricing reflects not just the edit, but the value of the footage we capture. We’re always happy to discuss ways to maximise content from a shoot while ensuring fairness for both parties—so you get great results, and we continue to deliver high-quality work sustainably.
Of course, if you know in advance that you’ll need raw footage for a specific reason, we’re happy to discuss that upfront and come to an agreement on exactly what deliverable is required, in what format and license it accordingly, but in most cases, what you really want—and what we’re here to deliver—is a high-quality video that works hard for you and your brand.
