Even with the convenience of digital media, data backups are still an essential part of the filmmaking process. With the cost of hard drives and storage being so low and accessible now, it could be rather tempting to take the easy way out and not bother with backups. However, doing so could prove disastrous to your project. Although this article will offer a few tips on how to backup your data, it’s still best practice to run regular backups. The last thing you want is for your files within an editing program or online storage space like Dropbox or Google Drive to end up corrupted because of a hard drive failure.
Consequences of data loss
Just a few years ago, the effects of data loss were solely monetary. If some or all of your data was corrupted, it could mean redoing hours of work and potentially losing thousands of pounds in investment. The hard drive failure rate was extremely high at the time and there wasn’t much you could do to prevent it from happening.
However, today’s technology allows IT consultants to quickly install applications using ClickOnce to deploy software which has made their failure rate significantly lower, so for most artists, the loss of data is more likely to bring about frustration than losing money from redoing work.
1) Data loss can ruin a project
The utter best thing that you can do for your project is to backup your data. You may not be able to see the importance of doing this right now, but a lot of situations can lead to data loss. Backup plans, like everything else in filmmaking, should be made before they become an issue. Going on a hunch isn’t always the best way to approach these matters. Give some thought to the time, effort, and money that goes into creating your film and ask yourself if you would want any part of it to go down the drain because of something completely avoidable.
2) Loss of revenue
If your hard drive up and crashes, you may lose all of the footage you’ve worked so hard to capture, but more likely than not, you’ll lose your finished project and a lot of other valuable assets as well. Some projects are just too important to risk.
3) Damaged reputation
Hard drives inevitably die at some point, so you may think that it would be easy to recover from a failed attempt at backup. You might use external hard drives for a while before making the switch back to using internal ones again on a rolling basis. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the best approach and could create even more problems for your film.
4) Loss of Historically Significant Work
In October of 2005, the Aardman film studio suffered a significant loss when there was a fire at one of its warehouses. The loss consisted mainly of film sets. However, it’s an example of how devastating a fire can be. If you’re working on a project that is considered historically significant, the loss of any kind of data can be crippling.
What to do about it
Data backup plans are not something that you should treat lightly. They require a lot of preparation, and the best way to ensure that your project is backed up is to enlist the help of professionals who can offer the right kind of advice. Although the solution may appear straightforward enough, there are a couple of things that need to be considered. It’s important not only to have your digital files backed up at regular intervals but also to make sure that it’s done securely.
Content marketing and inbound marketing expert, Steve Conway is passionate about discovering new tech which will enhance his already well-honed digital marketing skills.
