Video Editing Checklists: Project Setup, Edit Pass and Export

Project setup checklist

Do these before your first cut so the project stays tidy and recoverable.

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Create one folder for the project with sub-folders: footage, audio, graphics, exports
Copy footage from cards or phones to your drive and check that every clip plays
Back up the original footage to a second location before you edit
Name the project with a date and a short title
Set the timeline frame rate to match most of your footage
Set the timeline resolution to your delivery size (for example 1920 × 1080 or 1080 × 1920)
Create bins or folders inside the editor: interviews, b-roll, music, sound effects
Turn on auto-save and check where your project backups go

A pass-by-pass order for a clean edit. Finish one pass before you start the next.

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Final checks before you export and again after the file is ready.

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