Remember how excited you were about that box of stuff that dropped into your room a few weeks ago? Now you can’t wait to get rid of it!
Well, you can’t just seal it up and mail it. Some jobs require a particular procedure for managing the elements and you must follow it for several reasons to be explained later. But first, you must first gather everything that belongs to the project and pack it all up.
- Call the recording studio and have them send any archival elements to you, such as voiceover recordings, project data backup, referenc material, etc. If there were multiple sesson dates, be sure to provide the dates of the sessions so that elements from all of the sessions can be included.
- If it was a film project, call the telecine facility and have them ship the negative to you. You might need to call the production company or ad agency producer to have them call the telecine facility to request a release of the negative. The negative does not belong to the editing company, it is the responsibility of the production company. Some facilities accept the editor’s instructions, some don’t.
- Sort out any junk in your production elements, such as old rough cut layoffs.
- Include any firewire drives, if they are part of the agreed terms of the job.
Here are some tips on packing boxes:
- The “first box” should contain as many final elements as possible, such as the protection master, camera original video tapes, OCN Transfer Master tape, final audio elements, CDs and DVD-Rs of original elements and final renders, and production sound recordings. This simplifies access to the elements most frequently retrieved.
- Keep associated elements together as best you can, such as all dailies tapes, layoff tapes, etc.
- Keep negative or camera videotapes together, in order. Do not pack too many rolls of negative together in one box as it will cause the box to collapse under its own weight.
- Include original script and shooting notes, and a set of final scripts if they are handy. I sometimes include a copy of the script with recording session notes that indicate “buy” takes.
You will need to provide evidence that you actually packed what you say you packed in case someone claims that you are still holding onto something. Also, there are tax implications for which elements are delivered to the distribution outlet and which elements are put into storage, so follow the instructions from the client carefully. Wow, I can’t even begin to tell you about the bureaucratic nightmares I have seen in the disposition of production elements due to poor archiving and inventory management!
Some clients require a formal inventory to be done to account for the disposition of every piece in the project. Here is what required of you in this situation:
- Be sure to include the protection master in one of the boxes. There could be legal and tax liabilities for failing to do so.
- Photocopy or scan the label of every tape and disc. Make three copies of the entire set. Keep one set, place one inside the “first” box of elements, send another copy to the producer.
- If your company does barcoding, barcode each element.
- Type up a formal and descriptive inventory of everything that is contained in each box – one inventory per box.
- Label each box with the client or agency name, the project name, the title of the spots or programs, and a numeric indicator such as “Box 1 of 8,” “Box 2 of 8,” etc.
- Print out five sets of the entire inventory set. Keep one set for yourself, send one set directly to the agency producer, seal one set into an envelope for the storage facility or receiving agent, tape each individual page to the outside of its respective box using clear packing tape, and place each individual page inside its respective box.
- Type up a signature receipt that describes the entire client/project/program, and indicates the origination and destination of all of the boxes comprised in your shipment, fold it into a self-addressed stamped envelope, include it with the shipment. I usually tape it to one of the boxes itself with a conspicuous note instructing the receiver to sign and return the receipt. the receiving agent is familiar with the routine, though you might have to provide explicit instructions to someone who is not a storage facility agent.
- You are responsible for the cost of shipping. Ship the boxes using a bonded, secure shipping company. Get a signed receipt.
At some point, you will receive back your signed signature receipt from the storage facility or receiving agent. Save this document in the job folder. Better still, scan it and archive it along with the other digital elements of the project. This document will SAVE YOUR ASS in case anyone cannot find something and they claim you still have it (you’d better not still have it!).
Finally, there are tax implications associated with shipping certain elements. The tax code may have changed since I last shipped a master tape and sent elements to storage under such strict guidelines, but as of 2008, here is my understanding of how it works. The editing company is permitted to charge tax to the client on the cost of the master tape only. Everything else is considered tax exempt because they are considered material elements used in the creation of the master.
The documentation of all of this in the form of inventories and signature receipts is critical since, if either the production company, ad agency or client is audited, they will ask you to provide them with copies of everything that clearly indicates that ONLY the master was shipped in-state and taxed, and that everything else was shipped out of state to storage. Obviously the tax laws are different state to state, so check on the policy in your area.