What is raw footage?

As you start to look into wedding videography and the different packages vendors offer, you may start to see the option to add on raw footage. Or maybe you will see in the fine print that they will not give you raw footage under any circumstances.

This may leave you wondering what is raw footage and why would I want it?

While the final edited video is what we typically see, the raw footage is the unprocessed, unedited material captured by us videographers.

Understanding Raw Video Footage

Raw video footage refers to the untouched, unaltered footage straight from the camera. It is the purest representation of the moments captured during a shoot, with no color grading, effects, or edits applied. Essentially, it's the building block from which the final polished video is crafted.

Raw footage provides videographers with immense creative freedom during the editing process. With no alterations or effects applied, it serves as a blank canvas, allowing professionals to shape the final video according to the desired style and narrative. This flexibility ensures that the video aligns with your vision and tells your love story in the most captivating way possible.

Weddings are filled with countless details, from the intricate decorations to the carefully chosen attire. Raw footage captures every nuance and element, ensuring that nothing is missed. These details can be revisited and highlighted during the editing process, enhancing the overall visual experience and making the final video more immersive.

While raw footage captures the essence of your wedding day, post-production is where the magic truly happens. Skilled videographers meticulously review the raw footage, selecting the best shots and crafting a compelling narrative. Through color grading, audio enhancement, and editing techniques, they transform the raw footage into a polished, cinematic masterpiece that encapsulates the spirit of your wedding day.

Unless you have the software and knowledge to work with these large raw footage files, they are not as useful to you as your edited wedding film or keepsake videos (ceremony edit, reception toasts, etc.). Raw Footage files typically take hours (or days) to back up and archive. We also shoot in SLOG so our footage will look very different in their raw format than they do edited. So again, unless you. know how to edit, they are not that useful to you.

Here at Elliott Films, instead of offering all the raw footage files that take up entire hard drives and can be difficult for our clients to access, we offer Heirloom Footage. This is a highlight of your most important moments throughout the day in a format that you can watch in one video. We do a basic color correct and some audio touch up but other than that, it is a natural documentary edit of your entire day. Think of it like an old school home video. Heirloom Footage serves as a valuable archival resource for the future. Over time, memories may fade, but having access to this video allows you to relive and cherish those cherished, untouched moments. It becomes a treasured keepsake, allowing you to revisit your wedding day and share the experience with future generations.