Why I Said No to a £16K Video Project - And Why You Might Need To As Well

It’s one of the most difficult things to do in any business, especially when freelancing: when is it OK to say no to a job?

What always comes up for me when the word “no” enters my neural arena is the fear of having no work at all. It feels like a huge risk and my anxiety hits the roof. Suddenly, I start to believe no work will ever come again. I’ll go bust, and my family and I will be without a home. Isn’t it funny how our survival instincts kick in?

But I’ve come to learn that saying no is a valuable tool, especially as a freelance DoP or camera operator. It protects your energy, your values, and your long-term business.

The £16K Job I Walked Away From

I recently had a potential £16,000 project land in my inbox. A run-and-gun production creating case study videos for a local client. On paper, it sounded promising. But the pressure was immediate: 10 case studies total, filming two per day, racing between locations with only a two-person crew - and somehow I’d also be interviewing.

Their aim was for the videos to drive marketing results. But with limited time and resource, something would have to give - and I realised that something was going to be me.

It just didn’t feel realistic to deliver the quality they were hoping for. I couldn’t confidently say the videos would achieve what they needed - and that meant saying no.

Stress Is Not Part of My Day Rate

It wasn’t just about the logistics. Mental health was a big part of this decision.

Over the years I’ve learned that high demands with low budgets are a red flag. And when stress takes over, it affects everything - my focus, my mood, my family life, and the quality of my work. That £16K project might have pulled me off track for weeks, and stopped me from doing the kind of creative work that really energises me.

In the end, I didn’t just owe the client honesty - I owed it to myself. And that meant walking away.

The Power of Saying No

My old driving instructor once told me that whenever a student passed their test, a new one seemed to come along almost immediately.

And honestly, that’s how business often works. Whether it’s energy, mindset, or just making space, when you finish a job or say no to the wrong one, something else arrives. It’s not magic - it’s momentum.

My Benchmark for Saying Yes

For me, quality is everything. The benchmark for saying yes to a project is this:

Can I confidently, with the right team, create something I’m proud of - something that delivers results and elevates my portfolio?

If the answer is yes, then I’m all in.

Got a Project?

I’m always open to new collaborations - especially when the creative is valued, the team is tight, and we all want to make something that matters.

Get in touch here if you’ve got a shoot in mind.