Frequently Asked Questions

I’m a good fit if you care about real people, real places and real topics – not just generic “content”.

Typical clients are:

• NGOs, initiatives and small organisations working with social or political topics
• Digital nomads, freelancers and remote-first teams
• Small brands, festivals and cultural projects that want documentary, cinematic storytelling instead of hard-sell ads

If you’re looking for human, thoughtful films, AI-assisted content that doesn’t feel generic, and a partner who takes privacy seriously, we’re usually on the right track.

A standard project usually looks like this:

• Short conversation – You send me a few lines about your project (or we talk in a short video call).
• Rough scope & budget – We clarify goals, target audience, formats and a realistic budget frame.
• Offer & agreement – You receive a written offer with scope, price range, timeline and deliverables.
• Upload & project setup – You get a private Nextcloud folder or another agreed upload option for your material.
• Rough cut / first version – I build a first version and we review it together.
• Feedback rounds – We go through clearly structured feedback rounds.
• Final version & exports – You receive the agreed versions in the right formats – plus basic instructions if needed.

The process stays lean and personal – no agency layers, no hand-offs between departments.

In most projects, up to four feedback rounds work well:

• Rough cut with first feedback
• Updated version (fine cut)
• Detail adjustments
• Final check before export

That’s usually enough to get to a version everyone can stand behind without the process drifting.

Last-minute ideas are part of creative work – if they are small and fit into the agreed scope, we integrate them. If they change the concept or create significant extra work, we discuss an adjustment of budget and timeline instead of silently absorbing everything.

We keep communication simple and transparent:

• Email for central decisions and summaries
• Short video calls (e.g. via Zoom) when something is easier to discuss live
• On request, a private chat room (e.g. Rocket.Chat) for ongoing questions and quick updates

If you already work with Slack or similar tools, we can connect there as well – as long as it doesn’t fragment communication across too many channels.

You can work with me in:

• English or German for calls, emails and project communication
• Greek for basic communication (and some projects), depending on complexity

For subtitles and translations we clarify case by case which languages are realistic and where an external translator makes more sense.

I can work with most common video formats and codecs – ideally the original files directly from camera, smartphone or recorder.

What doesn’t work well:

• Heavily compressed WhatsApp videos
• Footage that has been exported and re-uploaded several times with low quality settings

Whenever possible, we work with the original recordings. That gives more room for color work, stabilisation and clean exports.

In most projects we use a private Nextcloud folder hosted on an EU-based server. You receive:

• a personal upload link for large files
• or a shared folder for ongoing collaboration

If you already use your own cloud (Nextcloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.), you can also send me a download link. For very large or sensitive projects, we decide together which option is most practical and privacy-friendly.

To a degree, yes – but there are limits.

What usually works well:

• Moderate stabilisation of shaky shots
• Brightening slightly underexposed scenes
• Reducing noise, wind and background hum in audio

What will always stay challenging:

• Extremely dark or blurred footage with no real detail
• Severe camera shake without any usable frame
• Audio where the voice and background noise are almost identical

If I see that certain clips cannot be used in a meaningful way, I will tell you clearly instead of trying to “magic” them into something they are not.

My main focus is editing and post-production.

I can support smaller, mobile shoots with a lightweight setup – for example:

• additional B-roll
• short interviews or statements
• small on-location inserts

For larger productions or shoots in other regions/countries, I prefer to work with camera people or teams on site. That way, image quality stays where it should be – and I can fully focus on structure, pacing and story.

We define deliverables in the offer, but a typical package includes:

• the main film in one or more formats (e.g. 16:9 for web/YouTube, 9:16 for social)
• additional short versions or snippets if agreed
• subtitle files (e.g. SRT) and/or embedded subtitles where needed
• basic documentation of formats and recommendations where to use which version

On request, I can also provide project archives or working timelines – for example if your internal team wants to continue editing later.

I use AI as a tool, not as a replacement for your story.

Typical tasks:

• Transcription of interviews and recordings
• Drafting text blocks (e.g. summaries, titles, social captions)
• Generating variations of existing content (short clips, different aspect ratios)
• Supporting content pipelines and automations (n8n workflows, file-based triggers)

The core decisions – structure, tone, attitude – remain human. AI helps remove routine work so we can focus on the parts that actually matter.

That’s exactly what I try to avoid.

• We start with your material, your stance and your target audience.
• AI is used to create variants and support the workflow, not to generate random stock fantasies.
• Where outputs feel too generic or “demo-like”, we adapt, replace or discard them.

The goal is not to look like “someone with the same tools” – but like you.

Video avatars and simple interfaces work well when you:

• explain recurring topics (onboarding, training, FAQ, internal processes)
• want a consistent presenter without booking a shoot each time
• need multilingual or easily updatable content

They are less suited for:

• highly emotional storytelling
• sensitive political topics where authenticity and real faces are crucial

We decide together where avatars make sense – and where real footage is the better choice.

Usually:

• A clear goal and audience for the video or content
• A draft script or at least key points – I can help structure and polish the text
• Reference material for tone and visual style (existing videos, brand guidelines, etc.)
• Information about where and how the avatar will be used (landing page, internal training, etc.)

For AI-assisted workflows, I also need an overview of your existing tools (cloud storage, mailing tools, task systems) so we connect the right pieces instead of adding complexity.

For file exchange and many workflows I use a self-hosted Nextcloud and other tools on EU-based servers. That means:

• Your material is not automatically scattered across random US SaaS tools.
• Access is limited to you and me (and, if needed, explicitly authorised collaborators).

We may still use selected external tools (for example for avatars). That happens transparently and for a clear purpose. Details belong into the privacy policy and project agreement.

No, not without your explicit consent.

• Project material is used only for your project.
• I do not feed your raw footage into public AI training pipelines.
• If AI services process your data, it’s for defined tasks (e.g. transcript, draft generation) – not unrestricted training.

If I would like to show excerpts as portfolio material, I clarify this in writing or ask you directly.

By default, I keep project data for a limited period after completion so that:

• you can request additional exports or small adjustments
• I can restore files in case something was lost on your side

If you want your material deleted earlier or completely, you can request this at any time. For sensitive projects, we define retention and deletion rules explicitly.

The privacy-first stack setup is a guided entry into your own, small server stack – not full managed hosting and not 24/7 emergency support.

Typical scope:

• Designing a lean architecture (e.g. Nextcloud + n8n + monitoring)
• Setting up core services on an EU-based server
• Implementing a few concrete workflows that fit your daily work
• Providing documentation so you can continue yourself or with another admin

Clear limits:

• No promise of perfect, permanent GDPR compliance (requires continuous legal/technical audits).
• No enterprise-grade environment with complex networks and strict uptime SLAs.
• Ongoing maintenance/incident response is not included by default (optional follow-up support is possible).

Yes, within a reasonable scope.

For projects with sensitive data or strict internal rules, we can:

• sign a mutual non-disclosure agreement (NDA)
• define a data processing agreement (AVV/DPA) that describes systems used and responsibilities

I’m transparent about which tools are involved so your data protection officer can evaluate whether the setup is acceptable.

I don’t work with a rigid price list, but with typical starting points for different packages (editing starter, content pipeline, avatars & interfaces, privacy-first stack setup).

In practice:

• We clarify scope and complexity first.
• You receive a written offer with a clear range or fixed price for the agreed package.
• Invoices are issued with proper documentation; payment is usually by bank transfer (and, if needed, other common methods).

For larger stack projects or long-running collaborations we may split payment into phases (e.g. start of project, delivery of main milestones).

It depends on scope and how much material you already have – but as a rough guideline:

• Editing starter / short film: about one week from green light to final version
• Content & AI pipeline: one to three weeks, depending on the number of variants and tools involved
• Avatars & interfaces: about one to two weeks once scripts and assets are clear
• Privacy-first stack setup: several weeks, depending on your starting point and how many services we integrate

We discuss deadlines honestly. If a timeline is not realistic for one human working carefully, I’ll say so instead of promising the impossible.

By default:

• You receive broad usage rights for the agreed purposes and channels (website, social media, internal events, etc.).
• You can use the finished videos without ongoing license fees from me.
• I keep the creator’s rights to my work and may show short excerpts in my portfolio – unless you explicitly object or the project requires full confidentiality.

If you need a very specific rights setup (e.g. exclusive usage, strict restrictions), we put that in writing in the contract.

We differentiate:

• Licensed music / stock: We use material you already have the rights to, or I help you select suitable licensed tracks and visuals. Terms are respected and documented.
• Creative Commons material: We only use CC content where the licence allows it and proper attribution is possible.
• Third-party copyrighted content without licence: Only suitable for strictly private contexts. Not suitable for public or commercial use.

If you’re unsure about rights for footage or audio, we clarify it before it goes into the final edit.

Yes.

I do not take on projects that:

• promote hate, discrimination or dehumanising content
• are primarily built on misinformation or conspiracy narratives
• demand unrealistic timelines and budgets that make careful work impossible

Technically, I may also decline if the source material is so weak (extremely dark, extremely shaky, barely understandable audio) that I cannot stand behind the result – in that case I will explain why instead of forcing a bad outcome.