Importing and Organizing Footage for Efficient Video Editing

Good media management keeps your edit stable (no missing files), fast (no hunting), and scalable (the project still makes sense weeks later). The goal is simple: every asset has one predictable home, a clear name, and enough metadata to be found quickly.

1) Ingest options: copy vs link, camera card best practices, verifying copies

Copy (recommended for most projects)

Copying means you duplicate media from the camera card to your working drive (and ideally a backup). Your editing project then references the copied files. This is the most reliable approach because camera cards get formatted, unplugged, or reused.

• Pros: stable links, faster access (especially from SSDs), safer long-term.
• Cons: uses more storage; requires a deliberate ingest routine.

Link (use with caution)

Linking means the project references media where it currently lives (e.g., directly on the card or an external drive). If that location changes, links break.

• Pros: quick to start; no duplicate storage.
• Cons: high risk of offline media; slower if the source drive is slow; easy to break by unplugging/renaming/moving.

Camera card best practices

• Never edit directly from a camera card. Cards are not designed for long sustained reads, and they will eventually be formatted.
• Copy the entire card structure, not just video files. Many cameras store metadata, audio, proxies, and spanned clips across folders. Preserve the folder tree exactly as recorded.
• Use write protection when possible (physical lock on SD cards) during ingest to prevent accidental changes.
• Keep cards untouched until you have verified copies (and ideally a backup).

Verifying copies (step-by-step)

Verification ensures your copied media matches the card data (not just “it looks like it copied”).

1. Create a destination folder for the card (example: Footage/CAM_A/2026-01-21_CARD001).
2. Copy the entire card into that folder (dragging the card’s root contents, or using ingest software that preserves structure).
3. Run checksum verification if your copy tool supports it (MD5/xxHash). If not, at minimum compare file counts and total size.
4. Spot-check playback of a few clips, including the first and last recorded clips and any long takes.
5. Repeat to a backup drive (separate physical device). A common pattern is “Working Drive” + “Backup Drive”.
6. Only then mark the card as safe to format (many teams use a simple label like “BACKED UP”).

2) Building a repeatable folder tree and why consistency matters

A repeatable folder tree makes every project navigable without thinking. Consistency matters because you will: (a) revisit projects later, (b) share projects with collaborators, and (c) relink media after moving between machines.

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Recommended folder tree

PROJECT_NAME/  ├─ 01_Project_Files/  ├─ 02_Footage/  │   ├─ CAM_A/  │   ├─ CAM_B/  │   └─ ScreenRecord/  ├─ 03_Audio/  │   ├─ Production/  │   ├─ VO/  │   └─ Music_SFX/  ├─ 04_Graphics/  │   ├─ Logos/  │   ├─ Stills/  │   └─ AE_Renders/  ├─ 05_Exports/  │   ├─ Review/  │   ├─ Masters/  │   └─ Social_Cutdowns/  ├─ 06_Proxies/  └─ 07_Documents/      ├─ Shot_Lists/      ├─ Scripts/      └─ Release_Forms/

How to apply it (step-by-step)

1. Create the folder tree before importing anything into your editor.
2. Ingest media into the matching folder (footage goes to 02_Footage, audio to 03_Audio, etc.).
3. Keep project files separate in 01_Project_Files so autosaves, versions, and collaboration files don’t mix with media.
4. Export only to 05_Exports so review links and masters are always findable.

If you work on multiple projects, keep the numbering prefix (01, 02, 03…) so folders sort in the same order on any system.

3) Renaming strategies for files and clips, metadata, and keywords

Names are your first search tool. A good naming system answers: what is it, where/when was it shot, and which version is it?

File renaming: when to rename and when not to

• Do rename: externally recorded audio files, graphics, exports, documents, and screen recordings (these often have generic names).
• Be cautious renaming: camera originals inside card structures. Renaming or pulling files out of their folders can break spanned clips or metadata. If you need human-readable names, rename clips inside the editing app (clip name) while keeping the underlying file name intact.

Practical naming patterns

Pick one pattern and stick to it. Examples:

• Footage (clip name inside editor): S03_LivingRoom_CamA_Take02_Wide
• Audio (files): S03_LivingRoom_Boom_T02.wav, S03_LivingRoom_Lav_Jamie_T02.wav
• Graphics (files): LowerThird_Jamie_v03.png, Map_Overlay_v02.aep
• Exports: ProjectName_RoughCut_v05_2026-01-21.mp4, ProjectName_Master_4K_v01.mov

Metadata and keywords (how to make search work for you)

Use metadata for attributes you will filter by later. Common useful fields:

• Scene / Interviewee / Location (e.g., “S03”, “Jamie”, “Living Room”)
• Camera (A/B/C), Lens, Audio source (Boom/Lav)
• Content tags: “B-roll”, “Cutaway”, “Reaction”, “Establishing”, “Product close-up”
• Quality tags: “Soft focus”, “Shaky”, “Great audio”, “Needs NR”

Keywords should be consistent (avoid “Broll” vs “B-roll” vs “B Roll”). Create a small controlled vocabulary you reuse across projects.

4) Creating bins by scene/date/location and by content type

Bins (or folders inside your editor) mirror how you think while cutting. A strong approach is to organize by story structure (scene/date/location) and also by asset type (A-roll, B-roll, audio, graphics).

Two reliable bin structures

Hybrid bin template (practical)

This hybrid keeps both perspectives without duplicating media:

Bins/  ├─ 01_A-Roll/  │   ├─ Scene_01/  │   └─ Scene_02/  ├─ 02_B-Roll/  │   ├─ Location_Kitchen/  │   └─ Location_Office/  ├─ 03_Audio/  │   ├─ Production/  │   ├─ VO/  │   └─ Music_SFX/  ├─ 04_Graphics/  ├─ 05_Selects/  └─ 06_Sequences/      ├─ Stringouts/      ├─ Rough_Cuts/      └─ Deliverables/

Tip: keep Sequences (timelines) in their own bin so you never confuse them with raw clips.

5) Creating selects: ratings, markers, subclips, and string-outs

“Selects” are your curated best moments. Building selects early reduces timeline clutter and speeds up creative decisions.

Ratings (step-by-step)

1. Watch/skim each clip and assign a simple rating system (example: 1 star = usable, 2 stars = good, 3 stars = must-use).
2. Add a reject flag for unusable clips (out of focus, accidental record, etc.).
3. Filter by rating when you start cutting so you only see the best material.

Markers (step-by-step)

1. Play through a clip and drop markers on strong moments (great line, clean reaction, perfect cutaway).
2. Label markers with what they represent: Best answer, Smile reaction, Clean room tone, Great wide.
3. If your editor supports it, color-code markers (e.g., green = selects, yellow = maybe, red = problem).

Subclips (when and how)

Subclips are shorter, named segments created from longer clips. They’re ideal for interviews and long takes.

1. Set in/out points around a usable segment.
2. Create a subclip and name it descriptively (e.g., Jamie_Explains_ProblemStatement).
3. Store subclips in a Selects bin so the original media remains untouched.

Keep subclips long enough to include natural handles (a little before/after the moment) so you have room for edits.

String-outs (fast organization for complex footage)

A string-out is a timeline where you lay clips end-to-end to review and pull selects from one place.

1. Create a sequence named Stringout_Scene03_CamA (or by interviewee/date).
2. Place all relevant clips in chronological order.
3. As you watch, add markers and/or cut out selects into a dedicated “Selects” sequence.
4. Duplicate the string-out before making major changes (keeps a clean reference).

6) Common pitfalls: broken links, moving files after import, duplicate media, and mismatched frame rates on import

Broken links (offline media)

Cause: files were moved/renamed, a drive letter changed, a card was removed, or a folder tree changed.

• Prevention: finalize your folder tree first; keep media on a stable drive; avoid renaming camera originals; don’t import from temporary locations (Downloads/Desktop).
• Fix approach: relink by pointing the editor to the correct top-level folder (ideally the project root) so it can auto-find the rest.

Moving files after import

Cause: reorganizing in Finder/Explorer after the project already references the old paths.

• Prevention: do your organization before import; if you must move media, move it in a controlled way and relink immediately.
• Best practice: treat the project folder as a “sealed container” once editing begins—changes should be deliberate and documented.

Duplicate media (wasted space and confusion)

Cause: importing the same card multiple times into different folders, or mixing “copy on import” with manual copies.

• Prevention: one ingest path; one destination per card; clear card naming (CARD001, CARD002…); keep a simple ingest log in 07_Documents.
• Detection: look for identical file sizes/timestamps, repeated card folder names, or multiple “Imports” folders scattered around.

Mismatched frame rates on import

Cause: mixing 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94, 60 fps clips without noticing; or letting the first imported clip define sequence settings unintentionally.

• Prevention: check clip properties during ingest; label bins by frame rate if needed (e.g., B-Roll_59.94); decide early what your primary timeline frame rate will be.
• Practical tip: if you shoot high frame rate for slow motion, tag those clips with a keyword like SLOMO so you don’t accidentally cut them at normal speed.

When in doubt, standardize: keep originals as-is, but be consistent about how you interpret and place them in sequences so motion and audio stay predictable.