Why Raw Media Is Never Included with Your Video Order
In this blog post, I want to shed light on a common question that surfaces in our interactions with clients and is echoed across the videography industry: “why isn't raw media included with video orders?” Not including Raw Footage is standard practice for many professional videography studios, including ours, and it applies to a wide range of videography services from corporate commercials to wedding and event videography.
At C King Media, we often get this question from clients: “Why isn’t raw footage included with our video order?” It’s a common curiosity—and one that spans the entire professional videography industry, from commercial shoots to weddings and live events.
Let’s unpack the reasons why this industry standard exists and why our studio, like most others, follows it.
Understanding Professional Videography
Professional video shoots are captured using high-end cinema cameras that record in formats like log footage. These files are intentionally flat—lacking contrast, saturation, and sharpness—because they’re meant to be enhanced in post-production.
However, log footage isn’t viewable or usable without professional software and technical know-how. Delivering it raw could lead to confusion, technical support issues, and misinterpretation of what the final product should look like.
Think of It Like a Bakery…
Just as a bakery doesn’t hand you the eggs and flour alongside your wedding cake, we don’t hand over raw files with your polished video.
You’re hiring a studio not just to shoot video, but to craft a complete experience—from planning to execution to editing. That’s where the value lies.
Protecting Intellectual Property
There’s also a deeper reason: intellectual property. Raw footage represents not just content, but the creative work and strategy behind your video. Releasing raw files would allow clients (or third parties) to reuse or re-edit material without our creative direction—which could compromise the quality or consistency of the final product and weaken our client relationship long term.
This is especially true for large-scale commercial shoots, like when we’re filming a resort or multi-day event. The agreed deliverable is the finished highlight video, not all of the behind-the-scenes material used to create it.
So What If You Really Need Raw Footage?
We totally understand! In certain cases, we do offer raw media delivery—as an add-on service. This allows us to account for the extra storage, transfer logistics, and most importantly, the licensing associated with that footage.
Final Thoughts
Not including raw media isn’t about gatekeeping—it’s about delivering high-quality results, preserving creative integrity, and maintaining a strong collaborative relationship with our clients.
Still have questions or want to discuss your next video project?
Let’s make something amazing together—no raw footage required.