When NOT to hire We Stream
When not to hire We Stream, outlining the types of projects and clients that aren’t the right fit for our structured, fast-turnaround video production approach.
Most production companies tell you why you should hire them. This does the opposite.
Here's when We Stream isn't the right fit for your project. Not because the work isn't good or the budget isn't there. But because the structure doesn't match what you actually need.
Knowing when not to hire someone saves time. Yours and theirs. Here are the scenarios where you're better off looking elsewhere.
When you need absolute rock-bottom pricing
Even our standard rates sit above the cheapest market options.
That's not because we're expensive. It's because we maintain infrastructure and structure that has baseline costs. Producer-led productions. Experienced crews who've worked high-stakes events. Systems for file transfer and workflow that exist whether you use fast turnaround or not.
If you're optimising purely for lowest possible price and willing to accept whoever's available and cheapest, we won't be competitive on cost alone. Budget videographers exist. Some are excellent. They keep overhead low by working alone, using their own equipment, and keeping things simple. For straightforward projects, that approach delivers perfectly adequate results at lower cost. We're not that model. The structure we maintain costs more even when you're not paying for rush delivery.
You're better off with videographers quoting at the lower end of the market. Check their portfolio. If the quality meets your needs and the price fits your budget, that's the right choice. You're not sacrificing anything if their capabilities match your requirements.
That's not because we're expensive. It's because we maintain infrastructure and structure that has baseline costs. Producer-led productions. Experienced crews who've worked high-stakes events. Systems for file transfer and workflow that exist whether you use fast turnaround or not.
If you're optimising purely for lowest possible price and willing to accept whoever's available and cheapest, we won't be competitive on cost alone. Budget videographers exist. Some are excellent. They keep overhead low by working alone, using their own equipment, and keeping things simple. For straightforward projects, that approach delivers perfectly adequate results at lower cost. We're not that model. The structure we maintain costs more even when you're not paying for rush delivery.
You're better off with videographers quoting at the lower end of the market. Check their portfolio. If the quality meets your needs and the price fits your budget, that's the right choice. You're not sacrificing anything if their capabilities match your requirements.
When Your Budget Is Under £800
Below £800, our structure doesn't make economic sense. Single videographer, basic setup, minimal editing-the baseline costs for how we work don't compress below that threshold. Even our simplest project structure starts there.
Projects at that budget level need someone operating with lower overhead. Freelancers working from home. Entry-level operators building their portfolio. Students or semi-professional videographers keeping day jobs. Nothing wrong with that approach for very basic needs. But it's not where we can operate.
Projects at that budget level need someone operating with lower overhead. Freelancers working from home. Entry-level operators building their portfolio. Students or semi-professional videographers keeping day jobs. Nothing wrong with that approach for very basic needs. But it's not where we can operate.
Look for student filmmakers, entry-level freelancers, or videographers just starting out. They often work at this budget level to build experience and portfolio. The output quality varies but can be adequate for low-stakes internal content.
When you want creative experimentation
without the budget or timeline for It
We've done creative work. Music videos. Conceptual brand pieces. Projects that push beyond standard corporate formats.
But that work requires proper investment. Pre-production takes 2-3 weeks of development. Budget needs to allow for testing approaches-typically £8,000-£15,000 minimum for creative development plus production. Timeline needs to accommodate iteration-4-6 weeks from brief to delivery, not 2 weeks.
If you want creative experimentation done quickly, cheaply, or as a one-off half-day shoot, that doesn't work. Creative development needs space and budget to actually happen.
If you need content fast, go with established formats that fit your timeline and budget. If you've already developed the full creative concept and just need execution, bring us a detailed brief and we can cost it properly. If you want experimental work on a very limited budget, film students and emerging directors often take on creative projects at lower rates to build their portfolios.
But that work requires proper investment. Pre-production takes 2-3 weeks of development. Budget needs to allow for testing approaches-typically £8,000-£15,000 minimum for creative development plus production. Timeline needs to accommodate iteration-4-6 weeks from brief to delivery, not 2 weeks.
If you want creative experimentation done quickly, cheaply, or as a one-off half-day shoot, that doesn't work. Creative development needs space and budget to actually happen.
If you need content fast, go with established formats that fit your timeline and budget. If you've already developed the full creative concept and just need execution, bring us a detailed brief and we can cost it properly. If you want experimental work on a very limited budget, film students and emerging directors often take on creative projects at lower rates to build their portfolios.
When the project needs broadcast-level equipment
beyond our kit
We have professional cameras, lighting, and audio equipment. It handles corporate video, events, interviews, and most commercial work without issues.
We don't own the highest-end broadcast cinema cameras, specialised lenses, or large-scale lighting rigs for commercial advertising shoots. We could rent them for your project. But that's not where our experience sits.
If your project needs that equipment level-national TV advertising, high-end fashion campaigns, broadcast documentaries-you're better off with a production company that owns or regularly works with that kit. Their crews operate it daily. They know the equipment intimately. They've solved the problems that come with it.
We don't own the highest-end broadcast cinema cameras, specialised lenses, or large-scale lighting rigs for commercial advertising shoots. We could rent them for your project. But that's not where our experience sits.
If your project needs that equipment level-national TV advertising, high-end fashion campaigns, broadcast documentaries-you're better off with a production company that owns or regularly works with that kit. Their crews operate it daily. They know the equipment intimately. They've solved the problems that come with it.
We can technically execute that level of production. But you'd be paying for us to rent gear and work outside our usual setup. That's more expensive and less efficient than hiring teams who do it routinely.
Production companies specialising in broadcast and advertising work own or regularly rent the equipment your project needs. Their crews operate it daily. The cost will be higher but the equipment level matches the requirement, and their experience with that gear means fewer complications.
Production companies specialising in broadcast and advertising work own or regularly rent the equipment your project needs. Their crews operate it daily. The cost will be higher but the equipment level matches the requirement, and their experience with that gear means fewer complications.
When you want to micromanage
every decision
Producer-led production means we make decisions on set. Framing choices. Lighting adjustments. Shot selection. Schedule management.
Clients brief us on what's needed. We execute. They see the result. If you want involvement in every creative and technical decision throughout filming, our structure creates friction. The producer's role is making those calls so you don't have to. Some clients want that level of involvement. They have strong creative opinions and want shaping every moment. That's fine. But it conflicts with how we work.
Find a videographer comfortable with hands-on client direction. Some operators prefer detailed creative input from clients. They'll involve you in decisions throughout the day. That dynamic works when both sides want it.
Clients brief us on what's needed. We execute. They see the result. If you want involvement in every creative and technical decision throughout filming, our structure creates friction. The producer's role is making those calls so you don't have to. Some clients want that level of involvement. They have strong creative opinions and want shaping every moment. That's fine. But it conflicts with how we work.
Find a videographer comfortable with hands-on client direction. Some operators prefer detailed creative input from clients. They'll involve you in decisions throughout the day. That dynamic works when both sides want it.
When you're running a formal tender
process with 5+ suppliers
We respond to straightforward RFPs with clear requirements. We don't pitch creative concepts in competitive pitching processes where five companies present ideas and one wins.
That process works for agencies and larger production houses with dedicated business development teams. It doesn't work for our structure. The time investment in developing pitches for projects we're unlikely to win isn't sustainable. If you have a clear brief and are comparing quotes on execution, we'll quote. If you need creative concepts developed as part of a pitch process, we're not the right fit.
Larger production companies and agencies with pitch teams are structured for that process. They have resources to develop creative proposals speculatively. That's their world, not ours.
That process works for agencies and larger production houses with dedicated business development teams. It doesn't work for our structure. The time investment in developing pitches for projects we're unlikely to win isn't sustainable. If you have a clear brief and are comparing quotes on execution, we'll quote. If you need creative concepts developed as part of a pitch process, we're not the right fit.
Larger production companies and agencies with pitch teams are structured for that process. They have resources to develop creative proposals speculatively. That's their world, not ours.
When location expertise outside London
matters more
We're based in London. We travel regularly for conferences and events across the UK and Europe. Venue logistics for conferences are similar everywhere-we've filmed in Lisbon, Berlin, Manchester, Edinburgh. That work translates. What doesn't translate as well: ongoing local partnerships or content requiring deep location knowledge.
If your company is based in Manchester and you need monthly filming over the next year, a local crew makes more sense. No travel costs compounding across multiple shoots. Easier scheduling. They're ten minutes away instead of three hours.
If your company is based in Manchester and you need monthly filming over the next year, a local crew makes more sense. No travel costs compounding across multiple shoots. Easier scheduling. They're ten minutes away instead of three hours.
If you're creating location-specific content-travel guides, city features, neighbourhood stories-local crews know their area in ways we don't. The hidden spots. The logistics. The visual angles that work. For one-off conferences or multi-day events, location doesn't matter much. For ongoing work or content where local expertise adds value, it does.
Regional production companies based where your ongoing work happens or where location knowledge genuinely improves the content will be more efficient for recurring shoots. They bring local insight we can't match from London.
Regional production companies based where your ongoing work happens or where location knowledge genuinely improves the content will be more efficient for recurring shoots. They bring local insight we can't match from London.
When you're still figuring out what you need
on a limited budget
We help clients develop and test approaches. For ongoing clients with proper budget, we can explore different formats, try variations, see what works. But that exploration requires investment. Multiple filming days. Testing different approaches. Time to iterate and refine.
If you're early-stage, still figuring out what type of content might work, and working with a tight budget that only allows for one shoot, we're not the right fit. Exploration needs room to explore. We're efficient when the brief is clear and we're executing. We can also help develop the brief-but that process costs money.
If your budget only allows for one filming day, start with a video consultant or content strategist who helps define what you need before production begins. Once the direction is clear, commission the shoot. If you have budget for testing and development, we can work through that process with you. Just know it requires multiple sessions and proper investment.
If you're early-stage, still figuring out what type of content might work, and working with a tight budget that only allows for one shoot, we're not the right fit. Exploration needs room to explore. We're efficient when the brief is clear and we're executing. We can also help develop the brief-but that process costs money.
If your budget only allows for one filming day, start with a video consultant or content strategist who helps define what you need before production begins. Once the direction is clear, commission the shoot. If you have budget for testing and development, we can work through that process with you. Just know it requires multiple sessions and proper investment.
When stock footage and templates would work fine
Some video content doesn't need original filming. Stock footage, template-based graphics, and existing assets can be assembled into perfectly adequate videos.
If your project can be served that way, hire an editor who specialises in template-based content. They'll deliver faster and cheaper than commissioning original production. We shoot original footage. That's what we're set up for. Projects not needing original filming don't benefit from our structure. Motion graphics designers or editors who work primarily with stock assets and templates will build what you need without the cost of original production.
If your project can be served that way, hire an editor who specialises in template-based content. They'll deliver faster and cheaper than commissioning original production. We shoot original footage. That's what we're set up for. Projects not needing original filming don't benefit from our structure. Motion graphics designers or editors who work primarily with stock assets and templates will build what you need without the cost of original production.
When it's a personal event
We don't film weddings. Birthday parties. Christenings. Family gatherings. Personal "walk around London" shoots.
Nothing against these events. They're just not what we're structured for. We work with businesses, brands, and organisations. Our crew dynamic, workflow, and pricing model are built for commercial and corporate work. Personal events need different energy. Different approach. Different client relationship. The emotional weight is different. The expectations are different. The deliverables serve different purposes. Teams who specialise in weddings or family events do that work better because their entire business is built around it. They understand what those occasions require in ways we don't.
Wedding videographers and personal event specialists are structured for the emotional significance of these occasions. They know how to capture them properly. That's their world, not ours.
Nothing against these events. They're just not what we're structured for. We work with businesses, brands, and organisations. Our crew dynamic, workflow, and pricing model are built for commercial and corporate work. Personal events need different energy. Different approach. Different client relationship. The emotional weight is different. The expectations are different. The deliverables serve different purposes. Teams who specialise in weddings or family events do that work better because their entire business is built around it. They understand what those occasions require in ways we don't.
Wedding videographers and personal event specialists are structured for the emotional significance of these occasions. They know how to capture them properly. That's their world, not ours.
What we actually are good for
This isn't false modesty. It's qualification.
We're structured for situations where our specific capabilities solve real problems:
High-stakes events
Where failure isn't an option. Product launches. Press conferences. One-time events with no possibility of reshooting. We bring backup systems, experienced crews who've handled similar pressure, and producer oversight that prevents problems before they happen. When something breaks at your event, we've got redundancy. When timing matters, we've already planned for delays.
Fast turnaround
When content timing creates business value. Same-day delivery for exhibition content that drives booth traffic while the event runs. Daily highlights from multi-day conferences published before the next morning session. Rush delivery for product launches timed to press cycles. We maintain the infrastructure-editors on standby, established workflows, real-time file transfer systems-that makes this reliable instead of chaotic. Fast isn't just speed. It's speed with systems that prevent it collapsing under pressure.
Multi-day conferences
Needing daily delivery. Day 1 highlights published before Day 2 starts. Content that keeps momentum active on social channels throughout the event. This requires coordination, speed infrastructure, and crews who can work evenings without quality dropping. We've filmed three-day conferences where each morning started with attendees watching last night's highlights. That cadence requires structure most companies don't maintain.
Producer-led productions
hat don't require constant client involvement. You brief us. We execute. You see results. The producer makes on-set decisions so you don't need to be there managing every detail. This works when you trust the team and don't want project management burden. Your time costs money. If you're paying for producer oversight, you shouldn't also be managing the shoot yourself.
Professional execution of established formats under tight timelines. Brand videos. Event coverage. Interview series. Testimonials. Content where the format is proven and you need reliable execution without experimentation or creative risk. We're efficient at formats we've done repeatedly. That efficiency means predictable timelines and fewer complications.
When those things matter, we're the right choice. When they don't matter or when your project needs something different, we're not. Better to know that before wasting time on conversations that won't go anywhere. Most production companies won't tell you this. They'll take any project that comes in and try making their structure fit. We'd rather be honest about where we're strong and where we're not. Saves your time finding the right team. Saves our time on projects that won't work anyway.
The right fit produces better work and less friction. Wrong fit creates problems even when everyone's trying hard.
Better to know upfront than discover it three weeks into a project.
When those things matter, we're the right choice. When they don't matter or when your project needs something different, we're not. Better to know that before wasting time on conversations that won't go anywhere. Most production companies won't tell you this. They'll take any project that comes in and try making their structure fit. We'd rather be honest about where we're strong and where we're not. Saves your time finding the right team. Saves our time on projects that won't work anyway.
The right fit produces better work and less friction. Wrong fit creates problems even when everyone's trying hard.
Better to know upfront than discover it three weeks into a project.
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team@westream.uk
team@westream.uk