Production
Now you have been assigned a computer to work from and logged in; it’s time to transfer your footage. Whilst this may seem simple in principle, there is a protocol we would like you to follow as part of best practice and to streamline the process.
AirDrop isn't available on the iMac computers, and these machines are shared. That means any files stored on them could be accessible to other users if they use the shared drive storage.
iMac Transfer
LincDog Footage Ingest Guide (iMac)
Important Note: AirDrop is not enabled on these lab/shared iMac machines. Please use the Cable Transfer or Online Transfer methods outlined below to move your footage.
Step 1: Set up Folder for Ingest
- 1 Go to the Desktop on your iMac.
- 2 Find or create a folder labelled LincDog (Right-click > New Folder).
- 3 Inside the LincDog folder, create a new subfolder with your project's or group's name.
- 1 Plug your phone and data transfer cable into one of the USB ports on the iMac. You may need to allow data transfer access on your mobile phone (Android users can swipe down on the notification area, click USB mode, and set it to File Transfer / Android Auto; iPhone users will need to tap Trust This Computer and enter their passcode).
- 2 If using an Android device, open an app like Android File Transfer for Mac. iPhone users can use the built-in Photos app or Finder.
- 3 Locate your footage, select it, and Copy (Cmd + C).
- 4 Navigate back to your project folder inside the LincDog folder on your Desktop.
- 5 Paste (Cmd + V) your footage into this folder and check that all files are present before disconnecting.
- 6 To safely remove your device, drag the device icon from your Desktop to the Trash (or click the eject icon in Finder). Once unmounted, it is safe to unplug your cable.
- 1 Open your internet browser (Chrome, Edge, or Safari).
- 2 Navigate and log in to your online storage platform.
- 3 Download your footage. By default, this will save to your Mac's Downloads folder, though you can check or change your browser settings to prompt or save directly.
- 4 Open Finder, navigate to where the footage downloaded, Copy (Cmd + C) and Paste (Cmd + V) it into your project folder inside the LincDog folder on your Desktop. Verify the footage is there.
- 5 Sign out of your online storage platform in the browser.
PC Transfer
LincDog Footage Ingest Guide
Step 1: Set up Folder for Ingest
- 1 Open File Explorer and navigate to the D:// drive (shared drives, on some PCs this may be listed as E:// or F://).
- 2 Find the folder labelled LincDog and double click to open.
- 3 Right click - create a new folder with your project's / group name.
- 1 Plug in data transfer cable and phone into one of the front USB A ports. You may need to allow data transfer access on your mobile phone. Android users can do this via swiping down on the notification area, clicking on the USB mode, and setting it to File Transfer / Android Auto.
- 2 Open File Explorer and navigate to your mobile device (this may show up as a USB or Removable device).
- 3 Find your footage via file explorer, select and Copy (Ctrl + C).
- 4 Navigate back to your LincDog footage folder on the D:// drive.
- 5 Paste (Ctrl + V) your footage into this folder and check it is present before removing the device.
- 6 To safely remove your device, go to the bottom right-hand corner, select the USB icon, and click Eject Removable Device. Once confirmed, it is safe to unplug your device from the computer.
- 1 Open your internet browser (Chrome or Edge).
- 2 Navigate and login to your online storage platform.
- 3 Download your footage. By default, this will save to the Downloads folder (C Drive), though you can change this default download location via browser settings if needed.
- 4 Navigate to the downloaded footage on the PC, Copy (Ctrl + C) and Paste (Ctrl + V) into the LincDog folder you created earlier. Verify the footage is there.
- 5 Sign out of your online storage platform in the browser.
Professional File Saving Structure
Note: While this is our recommended file structure for keeping projects clean and organized, feel free to use whatever folder layout works best for you and your team during this challenge!
Click on any folder in the tree below to see its purpose and usage guidelines:
📁 D:\LincDog/
└── 📁 Project_Group_Name/
├── 📁 01_Footage/ # Raw camera clips, phone transfers, or transcoded files
│ ├── 📁 Camera_A/
│ └── 📁 Phone_B/
├── 📁 02_Audio/ # Separate voiceovers, sound effects, or music tracks
├── 📁 03_Graphics/ # Logos, title cards, still images, and overlays
├── 📁 04_Project_Files/ # DaVinci Resolve project backups and exports
└── 📁 05_Exports/ # Final rendered video deliverables
💡 Click any folder above to inspect its recommended contents and workflow tips.
Why Use This Structure?
- Prevents Media Offline Issues: Keeping assets organized in designated subfolders makes relinking files in DaVinci Resolve effortless.
- Collaboration Ready: Clear numbering allows team members to instantly find raw source material, audio, or graphics.
- Clean Exports: Separating working footage from final outputs ensures you never accidentally overwrite your final renders.
Video Transcoding & Compatibility Guide
Time Warning: Transcoding can take a significant amount of time depending on file sizes. Please build this into your production schedule and be patient.
DaVinci Resolve Free Version - Supported Formats
The free version supports resolutions up to Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) at up to 60 fps and standard 8-bit/10-bit workflows.
| Category | Supported Containers / Formats | Common Codecs |
|---|---|---|
| Standard / Web | .mp4, .mov, .m4v | H.264, H.265 / HEVC (8-bit) |
| Professional Editing | .mov, .mxf | Apple ProRes, Avid DNxHD / DNxHR |
| Broadcast & Cameras | .mxf, .mts, .m2ts | XAVC, AVCHD, XDCAM, MPEG-2 |
| RAW Formats | .braw, .crm, .r3d, .dng | Blackmagic RAW, REDCODE, CinemaDNG |
Transcoding Workflow Steps
- 1 If your footage uses Variable Frame Rates (VFR) from phones or incompatible codecs that fail in DaVinci Resolve, notify a technical team member.
- 2 You will be directed to a dedicated transcode machine with Adobe Media Encoder. Have your footage ready to copy over.
- 3 The team will process your files into a compatible format like standard H.264 MP4, Apple ProRes, or DNxHD.
- 4 Once complete, your re-encoded files will be provided on a USB drive to take back to your workstation.
Troubleshooting:
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If you have downloaded your footage and find that is does not play this maybe down to the format the footage was captured in. For example footage may be recorded in VFR format which is not supported, we can fix this via re-encoding the footage. Notify technical support team within the space and they will login into Adobe Media encoder and show you how to re-encode your footage, a dedicated computer may be setup for this purpose in which case a USB stick will be provided to transfer footage to be re-encoded. Also look at the Handbrake section for a solution.
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Download location may change from machine to machine, by default it should be set to either C:// Downloads or D:// Downloads folder, notify technical support in space to assist. A guide on how to change download location is available.
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Ensure mobile device is set to data transfer mode and that cable is correct. If issue persists explore online storage solutions such as Onedrive or Google Drive.