Simple Free remote backup to avoid disaster
With the recent posts and discussions on the importance of BackUp its worth mentioning some efficient and free ways to backup project files remotely. Its one thing to have your NLE Project Files and EDL's, not to mention screenplays, treatments and outlines backed-up in multiple periodic versions on your hard drive and external backup harddrive, but what if your hard drive(s) is stolen? Dropped in a swimming pool? Eaten by piranah?
The only sure solution is to have a secondary backup to a remote location - ie. in a different city/state/country. There are number of very simple ways you can do this. And The first, best and simplest is CELTX.
I assume you're all using Celtx for your screenwriting, project management, breakdown and scheduling of productions (and if you're not WHERE HAVE YOUY BEEN....? get with the program. Celtx is where it is at. No other software system on the market can do what Cletx does, nothing else is as efficient, flexible, powerful or functional. And its FREE!) )
But even Celtx users may not have yet used the Online Hosting and Collaboration features. In simple terms this allows you to upload your Celtx project to the Celtx server (which is deep in the wilds of Canada in an underground silo protected by polar bears and very fierce moose).
This upload can be viewed online from the Celtx Project Central site (http://pc.celtx.com)
The Project Central service allows for both public or private hosting of your project and is built for collaboration and exchange between writers and filmmakers remotely. But Project Central has some hidden gem features they may not be obvious at first glance. By being a remote host for your project it is also a secure remote backup of your project should your house burn down taking your creative life with it.
But thats not all. Within the local Celtx Project you can not only create screenplays and various text documents but you can also attach outside documents as well - this is most often Word or Xcel documents, PDF, videos, pictures and sound files. These files are zipped up inside the Celtx file and are uploaded along with the rest of the bundle to Project Central.
So it shouldn't take a genius to work out that this is a perfect way to backup your editing software project files (Premiere *.pproj or Final Cut *.fcp or Vegas *.veg), EDL's, XML, AAF and OMF files. All these can be attached as outside files to a Celtx Project and subsequently backed-up remotely with a click of a button, and retrieved at will by simply downloading your Celtx file from Project Central if you need to restore lost projects..
As if you needed any more reasons to love CELTX...?!
That said, if you want more dedicated online remote storage there are a number of services that provide free storage. Size limitations and bandwidth constraints make this kind of storage not suitable for full-res video media itself but if you have large amounts of document data - scripts, writings, project files and so on - an online hosted remote back-up might be a very good idea. X-Drive offers 5gb of free storage and a very efficient local application that enables you to drag and drop from your desktop directly to the online server.
Likewise I-Drive offers a similar service with both Mac and Windows desktop clients for transfer.
And MediaMax tops them all for sheer size with a very generous 25gb of free online storage.
These services are great for storing moderate amounts of data but in truth for sheer simplicity and functionality of project management with the EDL/AAF/XML/ProjectFile, you cant go past using Celtx; keep your edit backup with your script and all your pre-production documenttation. One File to Rule them All.
Ok, so now you have absolutely NO BLOODY EXCUSE WHATSOEVER for EVER having a crash or technology meltdown cause the end of the world! Between periodic project file backups, EDL backups, XML and AAF backups, and remote server backups to Celtx or Xdrive, there really is no excuse.
Take a professional approach to your work, manage your workflow carefully, plan your process and backup daily and you cant go wrong.
Posted at 12:00AM May 07, 2008
by Mike Jones in technology |
