frequently asked questions

FilmFolk was launched in 2017 by Andrew Cussens an award-winning director and producer. FilmFolk specialises in high quality videography and photography services for corporate, commercial and private clients. We employ a handpicked team of talented professionals who are passionate about producing great work. We put heart and soul into everything we do and our biggest motivation is receiving 5 star feedback from our clients!

FilmFolk has a unique business model. We are an independent production company with our own facilities and in-house staff. However, unlike other production companies you can hire individual staff members to work directly on your project. No management fees or middle men! This provides flexibility and saves on cost. So, it’s just like hiring a freelancer, except with the resources, reassurance and reliability of a full studio. We think its unbeatable!

Our videographers and photographers are available in London and across the UK. The main FilmFolk studio is based in central London WC1 and we have a growing number of regional hubs. Some team members also work remotely across the country so we can field local projects. Our editing services are not location dependent, so these are available to clients anywhere in the UK - or indeed the world!

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No. At FilmFolk we provide our own highly trained in-house staff. Platforms like Fiverr, Bark or Upwork advertise freelancers services, but do not vouch for their abilities or provide any physical support.  We firmly believe what makes FilmFolk special is we are providing our own studio professionals at freelancer rates. All staff have been trained, assessed and cultivated over many years to ensure a high standard of service.

We offer a wide choice of creative media professionals. This includes videographers (also referred to as a cameraperson), photographers, content creators, photo & video editors, drone operators, livestream technicians, creative directors and screen talent. What makes us unique is we are able to offer our in-house experts at flexible freelancer rates to suit your needs large or small.

Booking our services is simple. You can reach out to us through our website or contact us directly via phone or email. We will gather your event details, provide you with a quote, and send you a booking form. Early booking is recommended to secure your desired date.

We recommend booking at your earliest opportunity as our team gets very busy and it's important we have enough time to liaise with you beforehand and plan your project. Bookings made with less than 48 hours notice use mean we have to re-arrange staff and resources to accommodate. In addition rush planning of your project needs out of hours support. Therefore, there is a £150 surcharge for all rush bookings.

Yes. Our editing service is available for all types of projects, whether filmed by us or not. We accept footage filmed in a wide range of formats and can do anything from basic trimming to sophisticated documentaries and promos. Our editing servce is available on an hourly rate or as part of a package deal. We always take care to fully understand your project requirements and can provide an accurate cost estimate before starting work.

For best results, we recommend a separate professional photographer and videographer with each fully focused on respective tasks. However, as an alternative, we can either provide a Content Creator equipped with a 4K mobile camera rig including a gimbal and Bluetooth audio. This option is suitable if cost and speed for posting on social media is your primary aim! Alternatively we can provide a videographer with additional camera kit (+£99) to do basic photography. This works if there is enough time, and the brief is prctical.

After confirming your booking the assigned team member will be in touch to gather detailed information about your project and requirements. We believe it is important to fully plan and prepare to ensure your project is produced to your total satisfaction! Depending on how far in advance you've booked, we usually start planning your project within 4 weeks of your event.

Yes, we offer package deals tailored to meet different needs and budgets. Our packages can include a combination of photography and videography services, along with editing and post-production. We encourage clients to discuss their requirements with us so we can recommend the best package for their specific event.

Our ‘first hour’ charge includes travel to and from locations within London. For bookings outside London there is an additional charge to cover travel time and expense. We can travel to any UK or overseas destination. Please enquire with us for a firm price.

Most projects only require one videographer or photographer. However, if you have a project or event where many things are happening at the same time, we recommend two or more videographers or photographers. If your project is filming a performance, ceremony or presentation where you want coverage from different angles you can also choose an additional static camera if you prefer to avoid the cost of an additional crew member.

You can request as many changes to your studio edit as you would like. For hourly rate bookings there is a flat fee of £98 per round of changes. On package deals we include one set of revisions for free. Thereafter revisions are charged at the flat fee.

Crew meals or breaks are not necessary for bookings up 4 hours. However, in accordance with UK law and to safeguard the well-being of our staff, we do require a break is included on bookings over 6 hours. This is can be taken at a mutually convenient point. Clients are requested to provide basic hospitality at this point to avoid crew needing to go off site.

Absolutely. We have years of experience filming and photographing events and perfectly understand the need to be discreet, whilst ensuring the great coverage of your event. One of the ways we achieve this is through careful planning of your project with you beforehand so we can minimise the unexpected and ensure our crew are always in the right place at the right time.

We use a wide variety of professional equipment for filming including Sony, BlackMagic, Panasonic and Canon cameras. All filming is in 4K using high quality lenses, tripods, gimbals, lighting and wireless microphone equipment whee needed. Most photo and video editing is done using Adobe Creative Suite software using high capacity cloud servers and local drives. In all cases, the choice of equipment depends on the specific needs of each project, allowing us to deliver the best results.

When you make a booking, we take responsibility for assigning a team member based on the type of project and experience required. It’s important to understand we are not an agency, but a studio fulfilling projects with our own diverse range of talent. As a studio we are best placed to select the most suitable individual, which ensures a more reliable and consistent standard of service, no matter what you book or when.

Our videographers and photographers are usually professionally dressed in dark clothing with discreet branded polo shirts. However we can wear specific attire if requested whether that is a suit for a VIP event or your own branded clothing for PR events. Similarly we are always willing to blend in to cultural events where needed whether that is wearing a headscarf, kippah or other appropriate item.

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Rest assured, you're covered! One advantage of the FilmFolk studio is we have the staff and resources to cover any eventuality. This is why we are the preferred choice of many organisations and private individuals. Our bullet proof systems and resources means the unexpected won’t be problem for your project!

You can cancel your booking within 14 days of signing our contract for a refund. Provided no project work has taken place and there are at least 7 days remaining before the start time of your project, you will receive a full refund less 10% to cover our admin and card payment costs. In all other cases a 50% cancellation fee will apply (min £250) to cover our pre-production costs and the commitment of staff and resources to your project date/s.

Yes. As a professional studio we have full public liability insurance up to £10million. We are also able to provide risk assessments, method statements and any other standard documentation to support your filming or photography project.

Yes, you can request a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) on any project. This provides a total ‘black-out’ of the project on all public platforms under our control. It also includes a copyright buy-out with all files being removed from our servers once the project is securely delivered. The fee for entering into an NDA is 20% of the total project cost.

Our standard workflow is for your project to be handled by a single team member. After work is completed you'll receive a secure download link with the final deliverables. Later we will archive the project and may use excerpts in our portfolio or social media channels.

If you would like complete privacy, we can offer a Non Disclosure Agreement. In this instance we delete all files after delivery and do not use material on any of our platforms. Furthermore we do not discuss the project with any third party. The NDA contract carries an additional 20% fee (of the contract value).

All bookings are made with FilmFolk which is a professional studio. However, our unique low-cost business model means we assign a member of our studio team to work directly on your project. They will liaise with you personally throughout the project ensuring clarity and continuity. Whatever you are booking, we offer full customer support with the resources and reliability of a studio.

Your video or photography files will be supplied within 48 hours. You will be sent a download link. We also offer studio editing at an additional cost.

The editing process can vary significantly based on the project's complexity. Most edits take a day or two, but more extensive projects or those requiring substantial creative input, can take a week or more. If you have a particular deadline, please let us know when you book so we can ensure we allocate the necessary resources.

All video and photography files are supplied in their native format ready to download after your project. Raw media files can be substantial so allow plenty of space! If you book us to edit your video project, files are usually supplied as compressed .mov or .mp4 files ready for you to download. This is a fast and reliable way to work and because of this we don’t provide USB sticks, DVD or Blu-ray discs.

There is no limit to the number of images we can provide, but for events we guarantee a minimum of 40 curated and processed images per hour of attendance. This is the number of final images selected and processed by the photographer (ie not the raw files!).

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