In short
- A highlight tells a story. It does not contain the whole event.
- A full recording keeps a ceremony, talk or speech complete, without cuts.
- Raw footage is the unedited material. It is a source, not a finished video.
- Many events need a highlight and a full recording, because different people want different things.
A highlight film tells the story of an event in a few minutes. A full recording keeps a session complete. Raw footage is the unedited material. They are three different records, and a highlight does not contain the other two.
What is each record?
| Record | What it is | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Highlight film | An edited story with music, cut to a few minutes | People who weren’t there, social sharing, promotion |
| Full recording | A ceremony, talk or speech kept complete, from start to end | Anyone who needs the actual words, or a faithful record |
| Raw footage | The unedited camera and audio files | Your own editor, or an archive of the source |
The word “video” hides these differences. When a quote only says “one video”, ask which of the three it means.
Why a highlight cannot replace a full recording
A highlight is chosen moment by moment. Something has to be dropped for the film to stay short and watchable. A vow, a toast or a keynote may be reduced to a few seconds.
That is the right trade-off for sharing. It is the wrong one if someone later needs to hear what was said. Our guide to choosing a useful length for an event highlight covers how long a highlight should be. Our page on highlight films explains how we make them.
What does a full recording include?
It follows the session from the first word to the last, with no story editing. Camera angles may be switched and the sound balanced, but the content is kept in order. The details, such as camera changes and cut breaks, are in what a full ceremony or full speech recording includes. See also our full ceremony and speech recording service.
What is raw footage, and should you ask for it?
Raw footage is what the cameras and microphones captured, before any editing. Files are large, often long, and may have uneven colour and sound. Most people find them hard to watch.
Ask for raw files only if you have a reason: your own editor, a legal or records requirement, or a long-term archive. Handover is confirmed for each event. Read what to expect from raw event footage before you decide.
How to balance a creative film with a faithful record
Different people want different things from the same event, and one film rarely serves them all.
For example, imagine a company annual dinner.
The marketing team wants a lively three-minute film for social media. The HR lead wants the long-service awards kept complete, so recipients can be sent their moment. The chairman’s office wants the speech kept as an unedited record. This is an illustration, not a client we filmed.
Here the answer is three outputs, each with an owner:
- A highlight film for marketing, edited for mood and pace.
- A full recording of the awards segment for HR, kept in order.
- A full recording of the chairman’s speech for the records.
Each output has a different purpose, so ask each stakeholder what they would use it for. Our video deliverables specification sheet helps you write this down.
What we confirm for your event
- Which of the three records each item in the quote means.
- Whether a full recording is planned from the start, or only a highlight.
- Whether speech sound is captured separately from the camera audio.
- Whether raw footage is included or optional, and in what form.
- Who reviews each output, and who approves the final version.
If you want a shortlist for your event, which event videos do you need? walks through the options. When you are ready, we build the list into a quote for your event videography. The records you choose are what move the quote: see pricing.
If you are not sure which records you need, tell us who will watch the video and what they will use it for. We will suggest what to include in the quote.
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