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Contracts

Who owns the footage after a video shoot?

Short answer

The Maestro Media transfers full ownership of all delivered footage to the client upon final payment, including raw files on request. We retain the right to use selects in our portfolio unless the project is under NDA.

What ownership means in practice

You own the final deliverables (the cuts we hand off) and you own the underlying raw footage if you ask for it. That includes interview takes, b-roll, and audio stems. You can edit, repurpose, or hire a different company to recut from the raw files later, with no involvement from us.

Why some companies don't do this

Plenty of agencies retain ownership of raw footage as a way to lock clients in. If you want a recut next year, you have to come back to them. We don't operate that way. The footage we shoot for you is yours.

The portfolio carve-out

The one exception: we keep the right to use selects from your project in our reel and on our website, with proper credit. If your project is under NDA or otherwise sensitive, we sign accordingly and the project never appears in our portfolio.

How raw files are delivered

Raw files are delivered on a 1TB to 4TB external drive (depending on shoot size) or via a private cloud bucket if you prefer. Drive shipping is included; cloud transfer is faster for smaller projects.

Related questions

Can I get the raw footage included in my project quote?

Yes, just request it during the kickoff. There's no extra fee for the files themselves; only for the storage drive if you want one shipped.

What if we want to recut the video next year?

If you have the raw files, you can hire any editor to do the recut. If you'd prefer we handle it, recut work is billed at our standard editing rate.

Still have questions?

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More answers

Pricing

How much does corporate video production cost in Chicago?

Corporate video production in Chicago typically costs between $5,000 and $50,000 per finished piece, depending on length, crew size, and how much pre-production strategy is involved. Most B2B companies land in the $15,000 to $30,000 range for a single hero video.

Timeline

How long does a brand film take to produce?

A brand film typically takes 6 to 10 weeks from kickoff to delivery: about 2 weeks of pre-production, 1 to 3 days of shooting, and 4 to 6 weeks of post-production.

Concepts

What's the difference between a brand film and a corporate video?

A brand film is documentary-style and tells the story of a company's identity, values, or origin in 2 to 5 minutes. A corporate video is functional, usually shorter, and explains a specific product, service, or process to a defined audience.

Logistics

Do you travel for video shoots in the Midwest?

Yes. The Maestro Media is based in Columbia City, Indiana and regularly travels for shoots across Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus, Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis, and St. Louis. Travel within a 4-hour drive of Fort Wayne is built into most production estimates.