Student Short Film Edit Handoff Checklist

Hand a student short film to its editor as a verified package: connect every folder, preferred take, sync note, permission hold, creative asset, backup, and unresolved question to a named sender, receiving editor, and acceptance result.

1. Freeze the transfer window

   Name the project, shoot dates, handoff version, sending student, receiving editor, supervising teacher, and the exact time when copying begins. Pause untracked renaming while the package is checked. Write whether the editor receives camera originals, verified working copies, or both; a folder that looks complete is not evidence that a second copy exists. Count the expected camera, audio, graphics, and paperwork folders before touching the edit system. The receiver repeats the version label and storage destination so two students do not keep changing different packages under the same name.

   People3: media sender, editor, supervisor

   PlaceOne approved handoff workstation

   Duration5-minute transfer freeze

   Skill checkedDefining one controlled package version

2. Reconcile media to the shoot record

   Compare the package with the slate log, asset log, sound report, and shoot-day folder list. Record each expected camera card or phone source, audio roll, still, and approved download as present, missing, duplicated, or held. Open the directory rather than accepting a screenshot of it. For every missing item, name the student who will resolve it and a decision time; never fill the gap by copying an unknown file into the package. The receiving editor signs this row only after the written counts match the directories that are actually visible on the receiving drive.

   People4: sender, editor, logger, media owner

   PlaceSource-media review station

   Duration10-minute folder-to-log count

   Skill checkedReconciling recorded assets with files

3. Test the folder map

   Read the top-level folder names aloud and record where picture, production audio, wild tracks, graphics, music, documents, proxies, project files, exports, and holds live. Keep original filenames inside their source folders; organization must not destroy the identities used by the slate and audio logs. Ask the editor to locate one named camera take, one wild track, and one consent record without coaching. If any item requires a private chat message, personal desktop, or memory to find, the map fails and the sender adds a written path before acceptance.

   People3: sender, editor, path observer

   PlaceReceiving drive root folder

   Duration6-minute three-item retrieval test

   Skill checkedNavigating a shared editorial structure

4. Connect preferred takes to evidence

   List the scene, shot, preferred take, alternate take, and the reason each preference exists. Tie the choice to a slate entry or a brief observable note such as complete line, clean focus, usable reaction, or director choice. A star beside a filename is not enough when filenames repeat across devices. The editor opens three listed preferences and confirms that picture, performance, and take identity match the row. Keep creative preferences separate from permission or technical holds: a strong take can remain unavailable until the authorized reviewer clears it.

   People4: director, logger, sender, editor

   PlaceEditor selects bin or written take list

   Duration8-minute three-take spot check

   Skill checkedTranslating set choices into edit evidence

5. Verify picture and sound sync state

   Mark each scene group as synced, not synced, partly synced, or intentionally silent. Record the matching camera clip and audio filename, the sync reference used, and any drift or missing channel observed during playback. Sample the beginning and end of two longer clips instead of trusting a linked icon. Separate production dialogue, wild lines, room tone, and isolated effects so the editor knows what has been aligned and what remains supporting material. Assign every unresolved sync problem to a named student; the handoff does not turn an unchecked clip into a synced one.

   People3: sync student, editor, sound logger

   PlaceHeadphone playback workstation

   Duration10-minute two-clip sync test

   Skill checkedMatching picture, sound, and timing evidence

6. Separate permission holds

   Gather the project's authorized performer, location, artwork, and private-information records without deciding their legal meaning. For each questioned asset, write its real filename, scene use, current label of cleared, held, or not applicable, the evidence location, and the authorized person who can resolve it. Move held items into a clearly marked review list without deleting or hiding the originals. The editor confirms that held material is distinguishable before cutting begins. Participation, file possession, or a name on a slate is not permission to publish, license, or share anything.

   People4: permission logger, sender, editor, supervisor

   PlaceRestricted records review point

   Duration8-minute asset-to-record check

   Skill checkedKeeping creative access within stated boundaries

7. Package titles and graphics

   List every title card, credit name, logo, photograph, illustration, font name, and on-screen spelling the editor may need. Record the source filename, editable or flattened state, intended scene, approved wording, aspect ratio, and any missing dependency. Open one editable graphic and one exported graphic on the receiving machine. If a font, template, or application is unavailable, mark the consequence instead of copying software or licensed files without authority. The editor accepts the graphics row only when the package names what can be changed and what requires another owner.

   People3: graphics owner, editor, spelling reviewer

   PlaceGraphics folder and receiving application

   Duration7-minute two-file opening test

   Skill checkedPreserving editable assets and approved copy

8. Map music and sound cues

   For every planned cue, record the filename, scene, entry point, exit point, source, current permission label, credit requirement, and whether the item is final, temporary, or held. Keep temporary tracks visibly temporary so they cannot drift into a public export by accident. Open one music file and one effect, then compare their duration and identity with the row. Do not claim that a download, classroom use, or handwritten log transfers rights. Assign a named reviewer to each unresolved cue and give the editor a safe replacement plan such as silence or an approved original recording.

   People4: sound owner, editor, logger, reviewer

   PlaceMusic and effects review folder

   Duration8-minute two-cue verification

   Skill checkedConnecting cue intent to permission state

9. Match proxies to originals

   Record whether proxies exist, who created them, their folder, naming relationship, frame size, and which originals they represent. Select two proxy clips from different devices and relink or reveal their source originals on the receiving machine. Compare duration, start frame or visible slate, picture orientation, and audio-channel presence. A small file with a similar name is not a verified proxy. Mark any unmatched proxy held for repair and keep the original media untouched. The editor states whether the project will begin from originals or proxies and where reconnection must happen before final export.

   People3: proxy maker, editor, media checker

   PlaceReceiving edit application

   Duration9-minute two-clip relink test

   Skill checkedMaintaining proxy-to-original identity

10. Define the first sequence destination

    Name the editing application and version, project file, frame size, frame rate, audio sample rate, first sequence or timeline, and the intended location for autosaves and exports. The receiving editor opens the project, finds the named sequence, plays one picture clip with production sound, and creates a reversible test marker without overwriting the sender's file. Record missing media, unavailable effects, warnings, or version changes exactly as observed. If the package has no project yet, state that plainly and name the student who will create the first project from the approved settings.

    People3: sender, editor, settings witness

    PlaceReceiving edit computer

    Duration10-minute project-open test

    Skill checkedStarting from a reproducible edit setup

11. Prove the backup path

    Write the primary working location and one separate backup location using labels the supervisor can identify. Compare the package folder count and total bytes at both destinations after copying finishes; also open one camera clip, one audio file, and the project or settings note from the backup itself. Do not erase cards, phones, recorders, or the sender's copy merely because a progress bar reached the end. Record the person responsible for the next backup and the time of the last verified copy. Any count or opening mismatch keeps the row unaccepted.

    People4: media owner, editor, backup checker, supervisor

    PlaceWorking storage and separate backup storage

    Duration12-minute post-copy verification

    Skill checkedTesting recovery instead of assuming duplication

12. Run receiver acceptance

    Review all unresolved rows, then have the receiving editor locate a preferred take, play its synchronized sound, open a graphic, identify a held asset, find the first sequence destination, and read the backup path without help. Record each result as pass, fail, or held, with a named owner and next decision time for anything unfinished. Count accepted folders and open issues. The sender and receiver sign only after the written package version matches the files in front of them. Their signatures acknowledge the observed handoff; they do not authorize publication, deletion, account access, or rights transfer.

    People4: sender, editor, logger, supervisor

    PlaceReceiving editor's workstation

    Duration12-minute six-item acceptance run

    Skill checkedClosing the handoff with observable proof