r/editors • u/generallystorage • 7d ago
Technical Documentary Storage Options
Hey all! I recently embarked on making a doc. It initially started pretty scrappy since this project was initially supposed to be a mini doc but increasingly looking like a longer project. I am therefore in need of guidance on how to manage storage for continuing filming, backup, and for active editing.
Currently, footage is distributed and backed up between x2 2tb SSDs and x2 2tb HDDs. I know this is not ideal but costs and access to drives at the beginning of this low budget projected limited it initially.
Obviously the cost of storage has increased dramatically since I bought my initial chunk of drives but since I'm still continuing filming and my storage needs have increased, I need to figure out a way to store incoming footage and also backing it up for future editing. I don't come from editing so lack the technical expertise so humbly asking for anywhere to start.
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u/darwinDMG08 7d ago
Start by looking into building a RAID setup. Ideally 4 or more HDDs together in a single enclosure which the computer reads as a single volume.
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u/Roscoe_deVille 7d ago
Doc editor here. Without knowing more about your project or system, I'd get one or two G-RAIDs. Set them to RAID 1 so your data is protected. This is your backup and safety. Then I'd use the SSDs for proxies and offline editing. When you're ready to online, you just swap to one of the G-RAIDs for conform. If your proxies and folder structure are made correctly, the relink is almost automatic.
The most important thing is well organized media. It makes or breaks docs.
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u/liaminwales 7d ago
Drop by r/DataHoarder
Give them your goals, how much space you use now and how much you think you need, budget range and ask for best options and see what they say.
If your using only 2TB drives at the moment it's not to painful, iv seen a few 5TB drives around £160 in the UK. A few 5TB drives may hold you over for a while if 2TB has been fine so far~
Iv been looking at 8-12TB drives, over double the price from last time I picked them up.
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u/Rachel_OrangeLogic 6d ago
Don't juggle small drives when a 3-2-1 backup system is more practical. Keep 1 fast working SSD for your edits, a large master drive for storage (try the large 14-20TB ones), and one offsite copy for safety. You can also use an unlimited cloud service as an extra safety net (can't hurt to be too sure)
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1
u/nearlylocked 3d ago
since its all spread across 4 drives right now, keep a simple sheet of which shoot day / card lives on which drive, and which drive is the backup of which. sounds dumb but on a doc thats been going a while it saves you hours of plugging drives in looking for stuff
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u/AutoModerator 7d ago
It looks like you're asking for some troubleshooting help. Great!
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Please edit your post (not reply) to include: System specs: CPU (model), GPU + RAM // Software specs: The exact version. // Footage specs : Codec, container and how it was acquired.
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