Supplying existing project photos and footage: an edit handoff worksheet

1. Connect each item to a point in the story

Start with the agreed project story and identify what the existing material could explain. A photograph might show an earlier condition that can no longer be filmed. A drawing might help the production team understand a layout without being suitable for publication itself.

Separate “background for understanding” from “candidate for the finished film”. An editor should not have to infer that distinction from the folder name or from the fact that a file was shared.

If the purpose of the film is still undecided, complete the construction project video brief first. Material selection is easier when there is a specific account to support.

2. Build an asset register before sending the folder

Give each selected item a short reference and retain its original filename in the register. Add enough information to locate it and understand what it represents. If a date is approximate or a location is uncertain, say so rather than converting a guess into a caption.

• Reference and original filename:
• File type and location in the supplied folder:
• What it shows, including project and area:
• Capture date or drawing revision, with any uncertainty:
• Person who supplied it and can answer questions:
• Proposed story point or use:
• Status: candidate for use, background only or awaiting decision:

For a long recording, identify the useful time range and describe what happens there. This is a navigation aid, not a request to cut the original recording. If several near-identical files are supplied, identify the preferred candidate and explain why the others are retained.

3. Resolve context and permission questions

Check the intended use with the people responsible for the material. Being able to open a file is not the same as having a confirmed plan to include it in a public film. Record any restrictions and the person who will resolve an unanswered question.

Drawings deserve a clear revision and status note. Identify whether the file is a concept, a later revision or a record of the completed work. Do not let an earlier design stand in for what was built without an accurate explanation.

• Person responsible for confirming the intended use:
• Status and location of the approval record:
• Any required attribution or accompanying wording:
• People, client details or areas that must be excluded:
• Any limits on destination, timing or reuse:
• Decision still needed, owner and due date:

Keep confidential source documents within the approved systems and share only what the production team is authorised to receive. A reference to an approval record may be enough for the working register. This worksheet records questions; it does not grant permission or replace your organisation’s approval process.

4. Let the editor assess the actual files

Ask which files the production team needs and how to provide a representative sample before transferring a large collection. Identify whether a file is an original, an exported copy or a preview. Keep originals intact and agree any preparation or conversion before doing it.

Adobe’s Premiere documentation explains that extensions such as MOV can describe a container, while importing the content also depends on its encoding. A filename alone therefore does not settle whether a particular file will work in an editor’s setup.

The practical step is to have the production team inspect the supplied material for the intended use. Ask about legibility, framing, sound where relevant, and whether the important detail is actually present. A file that opens successfully may still not explain the point the story needs.

• Sample received and opened by:
• Content or quality issue to discuss:
• Better source file available from:
• Preparation requested and agreed:
• Decision: usable as supplied, needs work or use an alternative:

5. Send a small, clearly described handoff

Agree the transfer method and the intended recipient before sending files. Use your organisation’s approved sharing arrangements and confirm the recipient can reach the agreed folder. Avoid changing access settings broadly just to work around a failed link.

Include the register, a short read-me and the selected files. A simple arrangement could separate material proposed for the edit from background references and current brand assets. Use a dated handoff label so later additions can be identified without replacing earlier files silently.

For example, a fictional register entry might read: “A07 — IMG_0412.JPG — east foyer before refurbishment; date supplied by project manager, awaiting confirmation; proposed opening comparison; candidate only, client-use decision pending.” The entry identifies a possible role while keeping its unresolved conditions visible.

• Handoff name and date:
• Files included, with item count:
• Register version:
• Named recipient and receipt confirmed:
• Outstanding files or approvals:
• What changed since the previous handoff:

6. Agree what happens to gaps and late additions

Ask the production team which missing items affect the story and which can be replaced by another agreed approach. Existing material may support an edit, but its availability does not establish that new filming is unnecessary or that archive assessment, restoration or additional graphics are included.

If a file arrives after editing has started, identify what it changes and ask about the effect on scope, reviews and delivery. Do not assume it can simply be swapped into an approved sequence.

Confirm who retains the originals and any agreed storage or return arrangements. A transfer confirmation is not a promise that the recipient will keep your archive indefinitely.

Once the film is approved, use the publishing handover checklist for the finished outputs and their destinations. That is a separate record from this register of source material.