What format are you delivering raw footage for future editing to brides in?

[James Palanza]

So I've had requests for the raw footage in an editable format. I could just ship them the files off the cameras but man thats like 75gb, I guess on blu-ray disks? What are you guys doing for this?

[Jeff Harper]

When I did give raw footage, up to last year, I asked the customer to provide a portable hard drive. Most had one. If they did not, then I offered to buy them one and billed them for it. Some went out and just bought one and gave it to me. Very minor issue.

Bluray discs are good idea but does not sound practical for many people who might not have bluray drives on their computer.

[James Palanza]

Yeahhh thats my one concern. I'll have to email her about it.

James

[Kyle Root]

I offer it for sale for $500 and I put it on a 500GB hard drive.

The files are the original AVCHD and HDV mpeg files. I don't do any conversions. That would take waaaay to long on the hundreds and hundreds of files.

I also give them an ISO image, a compiled mp4, and all the graphics I create in photoshop as jpegs.

[Kyle Root]

I should add, this is the time of year when I buy up hard drives off amazon, because you can get them for $40 or so. I buy 6 anticipating that I'll sell all 6.

[Robert Benda]

For a wedding, I absolutely won't. All that raw footage can be used to make you look bad.

I do, however, provide a full length "documentary" style edit with original audio. Basically, its the raw footage, cleaned up.

If I had to, I'd probably just pass along the original files. No sense in putting in more work than you have to, or converting the originals.

[Roger Gunkel]

I would never give any couple the raw footage if they have booked me because they like my work. It's like commissioning a painter to paint your portrait, then asking him for the paints and brushes incase you want to paint it again later.

Now if I was asked to film a wedding explicitly to supply raw footage with no editing, then that would be a different matter. Some of the things that I would normally do like leaving the camera running between quick shots and trying out ideas, I would simply not do of they were having it all raw.

Roger

[Vince Pachiano]

I'm gonna guess that most couples will never do anything with the footage, but they want it because of their dear old friend, Justin Case. (i.e. Just in-case). Let's say you include 45 seconds of dear old Nana's rambling interview, but two weeks later she passes. All of a sudden, the Bride is gonna be over-joyed that you have 10 minutes of the grand old lady.

[Danny O'Neill]

We charge £295 for the raw footage and its a nice money spinner. We provide it on a 64GB usb stick as the C100 is so nice and compact with its files. For our DSLR shoots they get it on a 500GB hard drive as they tend to be around 120GB and its cheaper than a 128GB usb stick.

Togs get to charge for prints and digital files. Not so many addons for us video folks. The files are just in their native format. Many have no plans to do anything with them, they just want more.

[Robert Benda]

Originally Posted by Vince Pachiano

I'm gonna guess that most couples will never do anything with the footage, but they want it because of their dear old friend, Justin Case. (i.e. Just in-case). Let's say you include 45 seconds of dear old Nana's rambling interview, but two weeks later she passes. All of a sudden, the Bride is gonna be over-joyed that you have 10 minutes of the grand old lady.

I actually offer to do VIP interviews (usually grandparents), especially if there is a section of the day where I think I'll have free time, like during family pictures, if they're pre-ceremony.

I ask leading questions, and get them talking about themselves, like for a family history. On their disc/USB, its a separate video.

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Danny O'Neill

We charge £295 for the raw footage and its a nice money spinner.

You really provide your clients with the raw footage straight from the card? I would only do that if the client would edit themselves and I was only hired to shoot and then I would adjust my shooting style to that. But I would never give away my raw footage where I"m doing the edit as it contains a lot of junk like mistakes in focussing, exposure, beauty shots I retry several times and so on which they never get to see in the final edit but what I don't want them to see that in the raw files.

We provide it on a 64GB usb stick as the C100 is so nice and compact with its files.

All camera's today can provide those lower bitrate files but have the option to go for higher bitrates and/or resolutions. It depends what your client expectations are, if I knew I would have to deliver the raw files I would ask what editing system they have and choose a codec appropriate for that and in some cases, if they want a 4K file, that will be either a 50 or a 100mbs bitrate file so the media they want to have it delivered on will need to be larger.