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Video Footage Utilization SOP

Here’s why and how to organize and utilize your video footage to get amazing results.

Summary​

  • Why: When you utilize your existing footage, your videos are much better. Most businesses just shoot all-new footage for every video. When you have a process, you can create more and better videos for the same effort.
  • Outline:
    • Standards: Document & follow your footage standards and organization.
    • Outsourcing: Hire a good freelance editor who learns your footage because you stick with them for most everything.

SOP​

Process​

  1. Shoot footage
  2. Upload to cloud
  3. Notify editor & receive edit
  4. Editor saves any shots that can be used in other videos
  5. Remove single-use footage from cloud

Set Standards​

  • Create an asset management file structure
    • There are tons of ways to do this. Pick one, write it down & save it in the top-level footage folder.
    • Example folder structures:
      • [Client Name] > interview / home tour / b-roll
      • Year > Month > Project Name
    • There are asset management softwares, and AI will be making these more affordable. (IE: Search “interview about the pneumatic elevator”)
    • Store footage offline if you won’t use it again, otherwise it will eat up cloud storage pretty quickly.
  • Set standards for your video
    • Your editor will be able to give you these guidelines.
    • What settings to use on your cell phone.
    • What settings to give videographers you hire.
      • You might need to connect the videographer and editor to discuss.

Outsourcing​

  • Instead of the more common model of hiring a videographer to shoot, edit, and deliver a single file of the edited video, use an internal editor as much as possible.
  • If you want your cell-phone videos to look more professional, send to the editor, and they’ll add video from your library, transitions, etc.
  • Videographers will often edit their footage at a great rate. This is fine, just note the following:
    • Clarify that you’re receiving all the footage.
    • Have them follow your standards for footage/shooting settings and file organization.
    • The more you use the same editor, the more they memorize and utilize your best footage.
    • Great editing is like coding - a great editor can output 10x higher quality and quantity in the same amount of time as an average editor.