Send raw footage via WeTransfer, SwissTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox or Frame.io. Send the original files straight from the camera or phone, without editing, compressing or sending them through a messenger first. A short note on the goal and which parts matter saves more time in the edit than any technical preparation.
The platform barely matters, the route does
Any common platform works for the transfer. WeTransfer and SwissTransfer are the least complicated because no account is needed. Google Drive and Dropbox make sense when material flows regularly. Frame.io is worth it when many people are involved in review.
What matters is not the platform but what you send through it. The most common mistake is sending videos via WhatsApp, Telegram or iMessage. These services compress video heavily, sometimes down to a tenth of the original data. What arrives afterwards can no longer be edited sensibly.
What you should send
- The original files. Straight from the camera or phone, unedited.
- Everything, including the failed takes. The second attempt is often better than the one you meant to keep, and cutaways frequently come out of supposed rejects.
- Separate audio, if you have it. If you recorded with a lavalier or a recorder, send that track along.
- Logo and typeface, if there are brand rules.
What belongs in the accompanying note
Three sentences are enough and save several rounds of questions.
- What is the video for? Instagram, website, an ad or recruiting. That decides format, length and pacing.
- What is the most important part? If there is a moment that absolutely has to appear, name the timestamp.
- Anything off limits? People who must not be shown, areas that should stay out of frame, or statements that need to go.
Five mistakes that delay every edit
- Sending material through a messenger. The quality afterwards is unusable.
- Sending only the finished cut. Without raw footage almost nothing can be improved.
- Renaming files. Camera file names carry order and timestamps. Replacing them turns sorting into manual work.
- Links that expire. WeTransfer links time out. If the edit starts in a week, the link is dead by then.
- Feedback in drips. Collected feedback in one message is handled faster than seven separate thoughts over three days.
If there is no material yet
Then the handover is not the issue, the shoot is. A media day on location delivers material for several months in a single day, including the cutaways that are almost always missing when companies film for themselves.
How do I send large video files?
Via WeTransfer, SwissTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox or Frame.io. Not through WhatsApp or other messengers, because they reduce quality heavily.
Should I edit the material first?
No. Send the original files unedited. A pre-cut video can barely be improved because the source material is missing.
Which file formats work?
All common camera and phone formats, for example MP4, MOV and the native formats of your camera. Converting in advance is unnecessary and usually costs quality.
How long does the edit take afterwards?
That depends on scope and volume. A clear timeframe is given before the work starts.