Organizing Data

As an editor, it is important to make sure that your data is organised and if your data is not organised this can lead to a number of problems.

One problem that can be faced when data isn't stored correctly is that it can be lost. For example, you have kept footage on an SD card and loaded it into an editing software such as Avid Media Composer, once the SD card is removed from the computer the footage will be lost. Lost files will appear blank in Avid and the time line will be bright red, the preview screen of the timeline appear with the text "Media Offline".

Data can be organized by saving items to the computers data drive. Folders should be created too, so you can organize your shots, music, animation, project files etc. By having separate folders for your data everything is kept from becoming cluttered and you will find it easier to edit because you will know where each item is stored. Also by organizing your data and saving it to the computer's hard drive you can reopen a project file at a later date and continue to edit. 

Backing up data is extremely important for an editor because it means that you still have a copy of your data even if it is lost. As an editor this is essential, because in the professional environment if you lost data that means you could lose a job. Something as simple as a computers hardware failure or a computer virus could affect your data so it is important to have your data backed up.