Who owns the raw footage from your video shoot?

It’s one of the most common questions we get asked — and it’s a fair one. You’ve invested in a video production, the shoot went brilliantly, and now you’re wondering: can I get hold of all that footage?
Here’s the honest answer: in most cases, video production companies — including us — retain the raw footage by default. What you’re paying for is the final edit. The polished, purposeful piece of content we set out to make together.
And there’s a good reason for that beyond protecting our work.

What does raw footage actually look like?
We shoot in a LOG picture profile. That means the raw files straight off the camera look flat, grey, and frankly a bit grim. They’re not finished footage — they’re ingredients. Before any of it looks the way it does in your final video, it goes through colour grading, audio work, and a whole post-production process that transforms those flat files into something you’d actually want to put your brand name on.
Handing over unprocessed LOG files without the right software or context is a bit like a restaurant sending you home with raw ingredients instead of the dish you ordered. The components are all there — but they’re not what you came for.

But what if you genuinely want the footage?
If access to your raw footage matters, just say so — ideally before the shoot. We’ll process it into a useable format, charge fairly for the time that takes, and you walk away with a library of professional material to use however you like.
So if raw footage is important to your project, tell us upfront and we’ll factor it in from the start.

Get in touch to talk through your next shoot →