Plan the Footage Handoff Before the Shoot

Start with the receiving editor.

Ask who will receive the footage and what they need to begin work. Confirm the editing software, original-media requirements, separate sound, proxy format, frame rates and any colour settings or look files. Put the first delivery deadline beside that list.

An editor cutting interviews tomorrow may need synced viewing files quickly, with the camera originals following through an agreed route. Another production may need the complete original package first. Decide the sequence together, including how proxies will reconnect to the originals for finishing.

Run a short test through the proposed workflow before the shoot. Have the editor import picture and sound, check sync, and reconnect a proxy to its original. That gives the camera, sound and post teams time to fix a mismatch while the setup can still change.

Keep the originals intact.

Agree a folder structure that identifies the shoot date, camera or recorder, and each card. Preserve the original filenames and the complete card contents, including supporting files. Keep proxies, stills, reports and exports in their own clearly named folders.

Include the camera and sound reports, sync notes, and any departures from the planned settings. If a clip was recorded at a different frame rate or a recorder lost timecode, tell the editor which files are affected. A brief, specific note saves them from discovering the issue halfway through the edit.

Verify the copies.

ARRI’s data-transfer guidance recommends checksum-verified backups for camera originals. A checksum comparison checks whether the copied file matches the source. Save the copy and verification reports with the delivered media so the next person can review the result.

The ASC Media Hash List format records file hashes and metadata for integrity checks across a media handoff. If the production uses MHL manifests, keep them with the files and agree how the receiving team will verify them.

File integrity and usable footage need separate checks. A matching checksum does not establish that the camera recorded the intended shot or that the microphone captured clean sound. Include picture, audio and sync checks in the workflow, and record missing or damaged material clearly.

Before recording media is reused, the responsible person should confirm that the production’s required copies and checks are complete. Agree that release decision during prep, along with the copy locations and the person responsible for each one.

Allow time to receive it.

Budget for copying, verification, proxy creation if required, and the actual transfer. For an upload, use a measured connection at the intended location. For a drive handoff, confirm the receiving address, contact, connection type and a drive format the editor can read.

Ask the recipient to confirm that the expected files arrived and passed the agreed checks. Give them a concise handoff note: shoot dates, cameras and recorders, folder map, file counts, verification reports, known issues and a contact who can resolve questions.

Assign ongoing storage separately. State who keeps the originals, where the other copies remain, how long they will be retained and who authorizes later removal. An editor receiving a drive should not have to guess whether they now hold the only copy.

Put the handoff in the brief.

For local production support, send the shoot dates, expected cameras and sound recorders, receiving editor, required files, deadline and storage plan with the Okanagan production brief. Those details help us plan the people, drives and time needed alongside the crew and locations.

The goal is straightforward: the editor can start work, the originals remain protected, and everyone knows who is responsible after wrap.