We need to do our bkup?

[Toy Robot]

I'm not sure I understand the problem.

I keep a copy of all my files until the project comes out in theaters, airs, etc. It's not that big of a deal.

Do I trust the data wranglers and/or DITs? Sure. But why not keep a copy?

 

+1

 

And to clarify, don't tell them you're going to keep the files backed up. Just do it. Then you are not on the hook for anything. Tell them on location they are responsible for backups. Don't try to alter an industry standard workflow, which is that they are indeed responsible. This reduces the likelihood that they will ever require your files since they will back them up like they normally do. If something goes wrong you can be the hero. I don't sell it or even voice it to clients as a service unless they ask. I just do it now. If they ask outright if I back them up then I tell them it is their responsibility to back up their master sound files, but I do back up the files as well and they are available for a fee. Prevents them from asking for them arbitrarily. They have peace of mind, but don't abuse it. Works very well for me.

[Mirror]

I find it weird that sometimes they don't contact you for weeks after you turned it in.  If I had paid a bunch of money for a project, I would know if there was a problem the next day.  I guess they're not that interested in it to make sure everything is there.

 

I'm not their Mom.

[Michael Stahr]

To my Brothers and Sisters of the digital mixing world:  Back it up to protect yourself. 

I speak from very expensive experience.  A producer came after me for ‘missing’ files, (four days of missing files) - 3 months after the wrap of a project.  I was unable to produce copies of those files.  He sued for $50K to re-shoot.  After a year and a half and taking it all the way to a two day court trial, I won 100%.  I had recorded and backed up (HD & CF).  His interpretation of ‘backup’ seemed to be access to his intellectual property, any time – forever.  The court disagreed.  I won, 100% and it only cost me $20K to protect myself. 

I did gain a valuable education in the legal world, but it cost me hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars.  Protect yourself.

What is the cost of a drive?  What is the cost of an hour’s time at the end of a week?

Peace of mind for me.

So, if your DIT is a DIC, shrug your shoulders and walk away.  They won’t last long, but you will.

My workflow now:  End of each day I dump to a portable HD and create sound report.  It doesn’t take much more time than just the creation of the sound report and it gives me a chance to spot check and fix any file naming issues.  This does take time and you should be on the clock for this.  Real producers know this – train the newbie producers please.    Hand off the HD to Wrangler/DIT.  CF is saved for a week and is never touched by production or any “helpers’.  Portable HD stays with my laptop and eventually ends up in my office.  At end of job I tell them that as a ‘Courtesy’ I will HOLD files (I don’t use the word back up) for 30 days.  I have tried to put something legal sounding in my deal memo but it just seems to confuses them and probably scares them off.

What would be the charge for being a hero?  When you send a replacement for a missing or corrupted file to a client do you bill them a hundred bucks?  Who do you bill the producer, the DIT, the post house?

I have provided after-the-fact files for various reasons, but to date have not charged.  I wouldn’t know how much to charge for being a hero and I especially like repeat business. 

All it takes is a single bit in a file to be corrupt and a file can go bad.  It is not your fault, it probably isn’t their fault, it’s Karma, or sun-spots or juju or probably just the HD going bad – it doesn’t matter.  Digital workflow has many benefits.  It is both fortunate and unfortunate that we Mixers now have the ability to save a perfect copy.  I choose to take the chance of being sued for holding files to protect my client and myself. 

Protect yourself.  Back it up.     M*

 

Here is an earlier thread talking about liability:

(

[studiomprd]

sorry for your bad experience, dpstahr, but OTOH, there are also remote possibilities of being sued for un-authorized copies of their intellectual property, especially as many folks are keeping some stuff in various clouds...

just sayin'

I expect you have gotten some excellent legal advice in the course of your dilemma;  me, I hand my work product over to the client, just like I did with the original Nagra tapes...

[Michael Stahr]

Agreed no intelectual property in the cloud unless ordered by client.  My HD is not even on a server, totally my control.  Hence my coment, "take the chance ..." for protecting my client.   M*