After [[MediaNotesVideoRecording|recording performances on video]], the next major challenge involves moving the resulting files, which are often quite large, from the camera to the various people who need to review the work. This wiki collects best practices on how to accomplish this task. Please help out by submitting your own ideas and suggestions!

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OPTION ONE: USB FLASH STORAGE ("Sneakernet")
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Probably the fastest and most foolproof method of moving large video files around is via USB flash storage devices (also called "thumb drives" or "jump drives") which are inexpensive enough to buy in bulk for several classes at once. Here's how it would work:

1. Record the video.
2. Insert the USB storage device into the computer where the video was saved.
3. Transfer the video to the device, then eject the device.
4. Hand the device over to the next reviewer.
5. Reviewer can copy the video over to her computer's hard drive, or just work with the video directly from the USB flash drive.
6. Reviewer saves the project (see "What format to save in?" below) back to the USB flash drive and hands it off to the next person.

Advantages of using USB flash storage

• Very rapid data transfer -- a long video segment can be moved in a minute or two
• Easy to do -- merely a matter of copying files
• Inexpensive: devices are very cheap and require no additional overhead

Disadvantages of using USB flash storage

• Can't work remotely: device needs to be physically handed off
• Device can be lost and hard to track once out of the classroom

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OPTION TWO: ONLINE FILE SHARING
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Setting up an online file-sharing system can also be an effective way to move files around. Brigham Young Law School, for example, uses Microsoft Sharepoint to move files around. If your school already has a learning management system that's configured to handle large files, that can also work as well. In addition, we are planning to enable the CALI website to manage this flow of data. Here's how it would work:

1. Record the video.
2. Upload the video to the website.
3. Reviewer downloads the video.
4. Reviewer saves the project (see "What format to save in?" below) and uploads the new file.

Advantages of online file sharing

• Leaves a data trail of who has completed the assignment
• Reviewers can participate from a distance

Disadvantages of online file sharing

• Can be slow to upload or download, especially if from home (residential upload speeds can be significantly slower than download speeds)
• Video quality needs to be lower to keep file size manageable
• More attention needs to be paid to workflow and/or properly naming files
• Requires a good server, which may be expensive
• May be difficult to manage privacy within a class, if needed

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WHAT FORMAT TO SAVE IN?
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MediaNotes has two recommended file types for sharing project data.

MediaNotes Package: the whole enchilada

Users can wrap the entire project, including the video, into one single file that can be passed on to the next person. This file will be slightly larger than the video itself -- which is to say, very large -- but has the advantage of simplicity: the next person just opens the file and gets working right away.

To create a MediaNotes Package (file extension .mnpkg), go to File > Package Project and Media.

MediaNotes Project: just the data, please

If individual or overall file size is an issue (for example, participants will be uploading files from home, or each student has only a small amount of allocated storage space), users can also disconnect the video from the project, assuming that the video is already available to everyone (e.g. it's available on a common website). Here's how it works:

1. The video is saved to a common location (presumably, the class website)
2. The first reviewer, after finishing the review, saves just the project file itself (File > Save As...). This produces a small project file (extension .mnpt).
3. The first reviewer then passes the file on to the next person (presumably, via the class website).
4. The next person downloads BOTH the video from step 1 AND the project from step 3.
5. When opening the project, the next person can associate the video with the project by clicking on the black screen that will read, "Media File Note Found: Locate."

While this process isn't very complicated, it can present an extra obstacle for less computer adept users. Thus, sharing the entire project package is probably a better choice in most situations except when either bandwidth or storage space is an even more pressing issue.