Raw event footage is hours of unedited, ungraded clips — including mistakes, tests and dead time — and most clients who receive it never watch it. If your goal is future content, the better ask is a curated B-roll library or extra short edits, which cost less and are actually usable. If you do want raws, expect an add-on fee of $200–$500 for photos and $300–$1,000+ for video.
'Can we also get all the raw files?' is the most common request in event production — and the most misunderstood. Here is what raw footage actually is, why studios hesitate to hand it over, what it should cost, and the alternative that usually serves the real goal better.
- Raw = unedited, uncolor-graded, including mistakes and dead time.
- Typical add-on: $200–$500 for raw photos, $300–$1,000+ for raw video.
- Most clients never open the raw files they insisted on receiving.
- Better ask: a curated B-roll library or extra vertical edits.
- If raws matter to you, agree it before the shoot — not after.
What raw files actually look like
Raw footage is everything the camera recorded: the thirty seconds of the floor before the speech starts, the take where someone walked into frame, clips in flat log color that looks grey and washed out until graded. Raw photos are unculled and unedited — including blinks, blur and duplicates. The edit is not a filter on top of the work; the edit is most of the work.
Why studios charge for raws
- Handing over raws means handing over the outtakes — no professional wants their mistakes circulating with their name attached.
- Storage and transfer: a full event can be 200–500 GB of video, which means drives, upload time and bandwidth.
- Rights and scope: raws change what the client can make later, which affects the value of future edits.
What raws should cost
| Item | Typical range (USD) |
|---|---|
| Raw photo files (full unculled set) | $200 – $500 |
| Raw video footage (drive or transfer) | $300 – $1,000+ |
| Curated B-roll library (the better ask) | often included or +$200 – $600 |
The better alternative
Most people who ask for raws actually want one of two things: insurance that nothing good was thrown away, or material for future content. Both are served better by a curated B-roll library — the best usable clips, lightly cleaned up and organized by scene — or by adding two or three extra vertical edits to the package. You get everything usable, without the 400 GB of dead time.
Ask for raws if you truly need them. But if the goal is future content, buy the edit, not the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
Should I ask for raw footage from my event?
Only if you have an editor who will use it. Raw footage is unedited and ungraded, including mistakes — most clients never open it. A curated B-roll library or extra edits usually serves the real goal better.
How much does raw event footage cost?
Typically $200–$500 for the full raw photo set and $300–$1,000+ for raw video, reflecting storage, transfer and the expanded rights.
Why won't some studios give raw files?
Raws include outtakes and ungraded material that does not represent the studio's work, and they change what the client can produce later. Many studios offer curated B-roll instead.
What is a curated B-roll library?
The best usable clips from your event, lightly cleaned and organized by scene — everything you would actually use from the raws, without the dead time. It is the most practical deliverable for future content.
Book a call or get a quote — tell us what you want to do with the material after the event, and we will build the deliverables around that.
See the service →