An Honest Comparison
What You're Actually Paying For
It is easy to focus on the day the camera comes out. That day matters, but planning and editing are a big part of turning the footage into a useful business video.
Planning decides what we need to capture. The edit decides what the viewer actually sees and hears. Without both, a filming day produces a hard drive full of footage, not a video you can put on your website.
Side by Side
A Filming Day vs. a Finished Video
| Area | Filming Day Only | Finished Video Project |
|---|
| Planning | May be limited if the story and shot list have already been prepared by your team. | Goals, audience, message and where the video will be used. |
| Story | Planned before filming, then shaped into a clear story in the edit. | Shaped before filming, then built in the edit. |
| Interviews | Questions are prepared in advance, with follow-up questions on the day to get clear, useful answers. | Questions prepared, with follow-ups on the day to get usable answers. |
| Locations | Seen for the first time on the day. | Planned ahead, with pre-scouting or client-supplied photos when useful. |
| Editing | Not included. | Story building, pacing, colour grading, audio cleanup, licensed music, branded titles and captions. |
| Revisions | Not applicable. | Two rounds of revisions included. |
| What you receive | Raw footage, which still needs an editor. | A finished video, exported for the places you will use it. |
When to Choose Each
When Each Makes Sense
When a Filming-Only Hire Makes Sense
If you have your own editor and producer and only need a camera operator, a filming-only hire may suit you. That is not a service I offer, and I would rather tell you up front.
- You have an in-house editor and producer
- The story is already planned and approved
- You need extra camera coverage for your own production
- You only need footage for an archive
- Your team will handle music, titles and captions
When You Need a Finished Video
If what you need is a video you can actually use, the planning and edit are part of the job, not extras.
- Company profiles and brand story videos
- Customer testimonials
- Recruitment and training videos
- Investor and business-sale videos
- Anything that needs to be ready for your website, proposals or social channels
Where the Time Goes
My package allowances show the balance between filming and editing:
- Starter Business Video: up to 4 hours of filming, up to 15 hours of editing.
- Company Profile + Customer Stories: up to 8 hours of filming, up to 35 hours of editing.
- Recruitment Video, half day: up to 4 hours of filming, up to 25 hours of editing.
- Recruitment Video, full day: up to 8 hours of filming, up to 35 hours of editing.
In each case, the edit takes several times longer than the shoot. That is where interviews become a story, footage is chosen and paced, colour and audio are cleaned up, and music, titles and captions are added.
Why I Don't Hand Over Raw Footage
A shoot produces more footage than the finished video needs. There may be false starts, repeated takes and clips that don't help tell the story. Raw footage can be useful to an editor, but it is not the same thing as a finished video.
Raw footage is not handed over unless that is agreed before filming. If you know you will need it, raise it when we plan the project, so it can be discussed as part of the scope.
How I Work
How I Approach a Project
Before filming, we work out what the video needs to say, who will be on camera, what questions to ask and where we will film. When it helps, I pre-scout a location or review photos or video you send me, so the filming day goes smoothly.
After filming, I edit the video myself. I don't take filming-only days. Some projects can be turned around in 24 hours. Most projects are delivered in 1 to 3 weeks once I have the interviews, footage and other materials needed. I will give you a realistic timeline before we start.
01
Plan
Goals, story, interview questions and location planning.
02
Film
Interviews and B-roll, with clean sound and controlled light.
03
Edit
Story, pacing, colour grading, audio cleanup, music, titles and captions.
04
Deliver
Two rounds of revisions, then exports for where you will use it.
Real Work
Planning That Shows in the Edit
Dark Matter Materials
For Dark Matter Materials, a hydrogen company, the structure of the video was planned before filming: the owner demonstrates the reaction on camera in a plant room, the chief scientist explains why it works in a lab, then we return to the owner for what it means in practical terms. Show it, explain it, explain why it matters.
That structure is what let the edit come together clearly. A filming day without that plan would have produced footage of a reaction and a lab, not a story. See more corporate video work
Past work across different scales has included CBC, Molson, TELUS, Alberta Health Services, Ledcor and Travel Alberta, along with small and mid-sized businesses across Alberta.
What Does a Finished Video Cost?
My corporate video packages are published in Canadian dollars, plus GST. The Starter Business Video is $2,500: up to 4 hours of filming at one location, up to 15 hours of editing, one 60 to 90 second video and one 15 to 30 second cutdown. The Company Profile + Customer Stories package is $4,995: up to 8 hours of filming, up to 35 hours of editing, a 2 to 3 minute profile, two 60 to 90 second testimonials and three cutdowns.
Packages include my standard production kit, local travel in my service area, licensed music, colour grading, branded titles, captions and two rounds of revisions. I do not add a separate rental fee for my standard kit. Full details are on my video production pricing page.
For separately scoped work, my rates are $850 for a half day of filming, $1,500 for a full day and $100 per hour for editing. I don't book filming-only days; filming time is always part of a project I also edit. Changes beyond the two included revision rounds are billed at $100 per hour, confirmed with you first.
Common Questions
Filming Day vs. Finished Video FAQ
Can I hire you for just a filming day?
No. I don't take shoot-only or footage-only jobs. I help shape the story, film it and edit the finished video. Filming time is always part of a project I also edit.
Why won't you hand over the raw footage?
A shoot produces far more footage than the finished video uses, including rolling footage, repeated takes and material that doesn't work. Raw footage is not handed over unless that is agreed before filming.
How much editing does a business video take?
In my packages, editing time is several times the filming time. The Starter Business Video includes up to 4 hours of filming and up to 15 hours of editing. The Company Profile + Customer Stories package includes up to 8 hours of filming and up to 35 hours of editing.
What happens before the filming day?
We plan the goals, story, interview questions and locations. When it helps, I pre-scout a location or review photos or video you send me.
How long does it take to get the finished video?
Some projects can be turned around in 24 hours. Most are delivered in 1 to 3 weeks once the interviews, footage and other materials are in. I will confirm the expected timeline at the start of the project.
What if I need more changes after two rounds of revisions?
Changes beyond the two included rounds are billed at $100 CAD per hour, confirmed with you first.
Need a Video, Not Just Footage?
Tell me what the video needs to do and where it will be used. I will plan it, film it and edit it, and give you a realistic timeline before we start.
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