Questions newsrooms ask us
Straight answers on booking crews, turnaround, delivery formats, live links and how an enquiry becomes a shoot.
Before you book a crew
These are the questions producers and news editors raise most often before a first shoot. If yours is not covered here, send it through the contact page and we will answer in writing.
-
How quickly can a camera crew reach a breaking story?
That depends on where the story is and what we already have booked that day. From our base in Cambridge we cover the surrounding region by road, and we will tell you a realistic arrival time when you call rather than quote a number we cannot keep. Phone is best for urgent requests.
-
What do you need from us to start a shoot?
A location, a contact on the ground, the angle of the story and your deadline for air. If you have a reporter or presenter attending, tell us so we bring suitable kit. Anything about access, permissions or safety concerns helps Tom and the crew plan before they leave the building.
-
Which delivery formats and file types do you supply?
We deliver in the formats your broadcaster specifies, including the codec, frame rate, loudness level and caption requirements. Send us your technical specification at the start and Priya, our lead editor, will build the export to match it. Files go to you by secure transfer.
-
Can you work with our reporter, or do you supply one?
Our crews are set up to work alongside your reporter, who stays in charge of the story and the questions. We supply the camera operator, sound and lighting. If you need help structuring a piece, we can advise, but editorial decisions remain with your newsroom.
-
Do you handle live reports from location?
Yes. Our live link support covers camera and signal setup so a report can go back to your gallery from the scene. We talk through the connection, timing and contingencies with your technical team before the day, so nothing is left to be solved while you are on air.
-
Can guests be interviewed in your studio instead of on location?
Yes. Rachel, our studio and lighting manager, sets up lighting and framing so guests look natural on screen, whether the piece is a short comment or a longer portrait-style interview. Tell us the format and running time you need and we will prepare the set.
-
How do you handle edits and approvals?
We cut to your brief and send a version for sign-off before final delivery. If your approvals involve several people, agree the order with us at the start so changes arrive in one round. Quick corrections after sign-off are usually straightforward, depending on the size of the change.
-
How do I get a price and what happens about payment?
Prices are set out on our prices page. Send an enquiry through the contact page, and we reply with a written quotation or confirmation. After the work we issue an invoice, which is paid by bank transfer. Cancellations and refunds follow our payment and refund policy.
We sent a short brief on a Monday afternoon and had clean, correctly captioned footage in our system well before the evening bulletin. The crew asked sensible questions and stayed out of the way.
Send us the details of your next story
Tell us about the story and your deadline through the contact page, and we will reply with a written quotation or confirmation of what we can cover.
ContactHow we handle a request from first call to delivery
Most requests begin with a phone call or a short message, and the first thing we want to understand is the story itself: where it is, who is involved, what your reporter intends to ask and when the piece has to be on air. A clear picture at this stage saves a surprising amount of time later, so we ask plain questions and write down the answers for the crew before anyone leaves.
On location, our camera operators work to broadcast standard, which in practice means steady framing, usable sound and sensible exposure even when light is poor. Tom specialises in handheld work and low-light shooting, and the crew carries kit chosen for speed of setup. We check the footage on site against the brief, so you are not surprised by gaps when the material reaches the edit.
Once the shoot is finished, the footage goes straight to Priya or another editor in the suite. We cut to the length you asked for, add captions where required and prepare the export in the file type and specification your broadcaster uses. If you have house style notes on graphics, naming or loudness, give them to us early and we will follow them every time.
Delivery is by secure file transfer, and we tell you when the files have gone so your ingest team knows to expect them. If a change is needed after you review, we turn it around as quickly as the edit allows. We keep copies of your project for a reasonable period, so a follow-up piece on the same story can reuse material.
Daniel, as executive producer, keeps an eye on every package before it leaves us. He started as a news cameraman, and the practical habits show: confirm the facts you can check, label the footage clearly and never promise a time you cannot meet. That approach is the reason many newsrooms come back to us for the next story.