How To Archive and Keep Your Projects Searchable
I have come to realize that every video program is unique and different over the years. There are people teaching video productions, broadcasting, film, sports production, etc. Some programs are career-tech based, and some are English electives, others are extracurricular clubs. We are a variety-pack when it comes to our wing of education.
Recently I have been archiving some old projects that were stored on DV-CAM tapes. Throughout my career, I have gone from tape-based master archives to DVDs to file-based storage. Of course, the latter is what all of us most likely use today to archive projects.
There are a few ways I like to manage the workflow of our archives that have helped us keep them protected and easily searchable. Since we all have different teaching programs, that means we all have different budgets, if any at all. If you are a newer program with limited resources, I will encourage you to inquire about at least one of the methods below for archiving, as it is an essential part of what we do.
There was a time I would archive all raw footage and an uncompressed MOV file, but the reality is that 99 percent of the time, I never need to access all of that. We mainly archive in an MP4 format, so that helps reduce the size of our storage needs. Our documentaries and some generic news footage we like to keep on file might be the only exception. Everything else is going to be the exported MP4 file of the final sequence. Check out my last article on managing your workflow with Project Naming.
Network storage is great if you have access to it. Sometimes all you need to do is ask, and if the school says no, move on to some of the other options below. Remember, if you are told that an option such as network storage does not exist, that gives you the ability to ask your supervisor to help come up with the cost of a different solution since the free solution one is not available to you. We actually use an older server that was retired from our IT department and they manage it for us. I think they appreciated the fact that they didn’t have to scrap it.
As safe as a network with redundancy can be, I have had the occasional hiccup, and some of our archives were lost. Knowing this can happen, I always keep a backup on a local passport drive. Drive space has become much cheaper over the years, so that is something you can easily place in your budget request each year.
I know some teachers who use Google Docs for archiving, which can be a great way to do things for free. Processing time tends to take a bit longer, and of course, internet speeds can make a big difference. Depending on the district’s enterprise setup with Google will determine the size limit.
My favorite archiving method has been Vimeo. Although we have network storage available and I keep a backup on passport drives, the access to our videos in Vimeo anywhere at any time is fantastic! There is a cost but, they have several plan options, starting as low as $7 per month billed annually. We recently moved to their Premium package so that we can use the Livestreaming services.
Uploading to Vimeo is super easy, and once your videos are there you can setup channels, playlists, and all sorts of organizing properties. Not everything has to be public, so you can always hide videos and make them accessible to just the students. You also get all the benefits of using the embed codes to place on websites, share files collaboratively, and best of all, you can download the videos at any time. Vimeo is often my first location to search for an archived video, and with many of us working remotely these days, it definitely has been a pandemic convenience.
Hopefully, this series provides you with some workflow strategies that make life easier. Maybe this will spark a new idea that you implement in your teaching environment. I would love to hear what workflows you have created, so shoot me an email at tom.wilson@northcantonschools.org, or post it on Stream Semester’s Facebook Group Broadcast Education Professionals. We're all in this together, folks.
Meet the Author, Tom Wilson
Tom Wilson is the coordinator of district media and video-journalism at Hoover High School in North Canton Ohio. You can follow the work of his students on social media @nctvmedia and his unique production vehicle, the Mobile Storyteller Project.