Raw Video vs Usable Video
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
If you’re a professional speaker and you hire someone to record your talk, there’s one thing you need to understand right away:
Raw video and usable video are not the same thing.
Raw video is the footage straight from the camera. It’s the ingredient. Not the finished meal. You may not even be able to watch Raw footage without special software. The colors typically look flat, not vibrant. The files are huge and the audio may be an entirely separate file. That’s normal and all part of a professional workflow that gives editors more flexibility and the best end product possible.
Usable video is different.
Usable video has been lightly edited so you can actually use it.
At minimum, that usually means the video has been trimmed, color graded, and audio mixed. Color graded means the image has been adjusted so it looks more natural and polished. Audio mixed means the sound has been cleaned up, balanced, and made easier to listen to. For a speaker, a usable video might be a full recording of your presentation that you can send to an event organizer, post on your website, or review for a future speaker reel.
The key difference is this:
Raw footage is what an editor needs.
Usable video is what you need.
So when you book a videographer, do not just ask, “Will I get the footage?”
Be more specific.
Ask:
“Will I get the original media files, and will I also get a color-graded, audio-mixed copy of the full presentation?”
Ideally, you want both.
Keep the original files because your future needs may change. Six months from now, you may want a speaker reel, short clips, a course module, or a new promo video. Your editor will have more options if they can work from the original media.
But also make sure you get a usable version now. Because raw footage sitting on a thumb drive doesn’t help you book more stages. A clean, polished, watchable video does.
Remember:
Raw video is for your editor.
Usable video is for you.