Dealing with Clients before deleting old footage at DVinfo.net

Jon Iannacone · February 15th, 2010, 08:05 AM

I have just finished a few projects and my external drives are getting very full and I need to delete some archived raw 720p HD footage shot with the HVX.

Obviously I am keeping a copy of the final edited video, but all the rest will be deleted. I have spoken with the client and they know the footage will be gone forever once deleted and they are okay with that and chose not to pay extra for an external drive with all their footage.

Does anyone have any document they use to get clients to sign off saying they know the footage will be deleted and can never be recovered and that they consent to that. I'd like to have it as backup in case a client were ever to come back and complain.

Darrick Vanderwier · February 15th, 2010, 03:03 PM

I don't have such a form but I do always burn all my raw footage to a few dvds and then if they want them I still have the disks for them.. Also I use dv tapes so I still have that as well. (Till I go tapeless)

Tom Klein · February 18th, 2010, 02:20 AM

Hi Jon,

I too use Mini DV to archive raw vision, It will last longer than DVD or HDD storage, and is CHEAP per hour, compared to other forms of archive...
If you worried , just put a line at the bottom of your account that states the vison etc will be held for 30 days prior to being deleted, should they not pay for it's archive for future use.

Cheers

Steve Rosen · February 18th, 2010, 11:33 AM

1TB drives are a hundred bucks now... I double back up all files to two drives.. Every time I discard something it turns out I need it a week later.. And it's not only about what the client is willing to sign off on.

If you are editing in FCP - I recommend using Media Manager to export your edit to a drive - or DVD if it's under 4GB -At least do that... That way if changes are ever needed you won't be screwed..

For instance, simple example that has happened to me several times: An interview subject quits as director of an organization but he is fonted as "Director" on screen... The new director wants him/her cut from the film, or, at the very least, re-fonted as "Past Director"... If not, they will stop showing the film (which can hurt you if you need the exposure)... By having the material available you can preserve the integrity of your work - and even make a few bucks doing the fix... For what it's worth.

Steve Rosen · February 18th, 2010, 11:40 AM

Forgot to mention, get a Voyager (or similar device) so that you don't need to use free-standing external drives.. much cheaper and saves space.

Tom Klein · February 18th, 2010, 09:56 PM

Hi Steve,

yes HDD's are a great cheap medium for storage/archive, but they can also "Go down" at any time. HDD's in my years of experience are an edit/storage medium, not a long term archive solution. Your suggestion to keep a HDD version of a program on file is great for instant access, but don't expect it to be there forever, same as storing on DVD or Bluray disc's they can dissapear or be damaged at any time also.
Yes, I use some drives for clients archive / instant access purposes, but I also back-up material on Tape, and yes, In the past I have had HDD's "die" near the end of edits, not a good feeling.
Tape is always there and is cheap, even DVCPro50 VTR's are nearly worthless these days, and make a fantastic cost effective archive solution.

cheers

Mark Sasahara · April 23rd, 2010, 08:24 PM

If you are archiving HD, I don't thikn Pro50 will be good enough. You'll want to back up to PROHD tapes and/or Blu-Ray and/or LTO4 Tape. LTO is around 800GB per tape, I think it's searchable, but you will need a service bureau to record and read the tapes.

Some places are beginning to have cloud storage solutions. Obviously your client would need to pay, but that is another solution.

Yes, HDDs can die, but if you get a dual bay RAID 1 solution, you can back up all your stuff onto pairs of 1TB - 2TB drives and be happy. eSATA connectivity is nice because it's fast.

February 15th, 2010, 08:05 AM	#1
Jon Iannacone Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Pennsylvania USA Posts: 25	Dealing with Clients before deleting old footage I have just finished a few projects and my external drives are getting very full and I need to delete some archived raw 720p HD footage shot with the HVX. Obviously I am keeping a copy of the final edited video, but all the rest will be deleted. I have spoken with the client and they know the footage will be gone forever once deleted and they are okay with that and chose not to pay extra for an external drive with all their footage. Does anyone have any document they use to get clients to sign off saying they know the footage will be deleted and can never be recovered and that they consent to that. I'd like to have it as backup in case a client were ever to come back and complain.

February 18th, 2010, 02:20 AM	#3
Tom Klein Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Australia Vic Posts: 160	Hi Jon, I too use Mini DV to archive raw vision, It will last longer than DVD or HDD storage, and is CHEAP per hour, compared to other forms of archive... If you worried , just put a line at the bottom of your account that states the vison etc will be held for 30 days prior to being deleted, should they not pay for it's archive for future use. Cheers __________________ Tom K www.olinevideo.com.au

February 18th, 2010, 11:40 AM	#5
Steve Rosen Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Monterey, California Posts: 895	By-the way Forgot to mention, get a Voyager (or similar device) so that you don't need to use free-standing external drives.. much cheaper and saves space.

February 18th, 2010, 09:56 PM	#6
Tom Klein Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Australia Vic Posts: 160	Hi Steve, yes HDD's are a great cheap medium for storage/archive, but they can also "Go down" at any time. HDD's in my years of experience are an edit/storage medium, not a long term archive solution. Your suggestion to keep a HDD version of a program on file is great for instant access, but don't expect it to be there forever, same as storing on DVD or Bluray disc's they can dissapear or be damaged at any time also. Yes, I use some drives for clients archive / instant access purposes, but I also back-up material on Tape, and yes, In the past I have had HDD's "die" near the end of edits, not a good feeling. Tape is always there and is cheap, even DVCPro50 VTR's are nearly worthless these days, and make a fantastic cost effective archive solution. cheers __________________ Tom K www.olinevideo.com.au

April 23rd, 2010, 08:24 PM	#7
Mark Sasahara Major Player Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: NYC Posts: 649	If you are archiving HD, I don't thikn Pro50 will be good enough. You'll want to back up to PROHD tapes and/or Blu-Ray and/or LTO4 Tape. LTO is around 800GB per tape, I think it's searchable, but you will need a service bureau to record and read the tapes. Some places are beginning to have cloud storage solutions. Obviously your client would need to pay, but that is another solution. Yes, HDDs can die, but if you get a dual bay RAID 1 solution, you can back up all your stuff onto pairs of 1TB - 2TB drives and be happy. eSATA connectivity is nice because it's fast. __________________ Mark Sasahara Director of Photography

February 15th, 2010, 03:03 PM	#2
Darrick Vanderwier Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: St. Catharines Ontario Posts: 69	I don't have such a form but I do always burn all my raw footage to a few dvds and then if they want them I still have the disks for them.. Also I use dv tapes so I still have that as well. (Till I go tapeless)

February 18th, 2010, 11:33 AM	#4
Steve Rosen Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Monterey, California Posts: 895	1TB drives are a hundred bucks now... I double back up all files to two drives.. Every time I discard something it turns out I need it a week later.. And it's not only about what the client is willing to sign off on. If you are editing in FCP - I recommend using Media Manager to export your edit to a drive - or DVD if it's under 4GB -At least do that... That way if changes are ever needed you won't be screwed.. For instance, simple example that has happened to me several times: An interview subject quits as director of an organization but he is fonted as "Director" on screen... The new director wants him/her cut from the film, or, at the very least, re-fonted as "Past Director"... If not, they will stop showing the film (which can hurt you if you need the exposure)... By having the material available you can preserve the integrity of your work - and even make a few bucks doing the fix... For what it's worth.