ABSTRACT
This chapter covers both file management and the management of physical media (memory cards, tapes, hard disks, and optical discs) on which recordings and backups are stored. Media management is an increasingly complex process as new formats for recording and backing up information enter the marketplace. Indeed, on some independent films (especially multi-camera productions) it is common to have a crew member whose sole responsibility is to transfer recordings from camera original cards onto an editing system and backup each set of recordings onto one or more hard drives for redundancy. The importance of backups cannot be overstated in an environment where memory cards are constantly used, transferred, erased, and reused over the course of a production. We’ll look at how media management and file transfer operations can most effectively be accomplished on card-based, tape-based, and disk-based systems, in both single-system (camera recording audio) and double-system (audio recorded on a separate device) setups.
