Handing an edit to another editor should take an afternoon. In practice it often takes a week of messages: “Media offline”, “Which font is this?”, “Is this the latest timeline?”, “Where is the music licence?” Each one is small, and together they eat the schedule.
This checklist is for the person handing over. Work through it once, and the next editor can open the project and start cutting.
Consolidate before you send
Most editing applications can gather everything a timeline uses into one place. Premiere Pro calls it Project Manager, DaVinci Resolve offers media management and project archives, and Final Cut Pro can consolidate library media. The names differ; the job is the same.
Consolidating does two things. It copies media scattered across drives into one folder, and it can trim unused footage so you send less. Before trimming, ask whether the next editor might need the full clips. For a recut, they usually do.
The checklist
1. The project file. The current version, clearly named with the date. Delete or move older versions so there is no doubt which one to open.
2. Source media used in the timeline. Camera originals or the trimmed versions from consolidation, in a folder structure that mirrors how the project references them.
3. Audio. Separate recorder files, sound effects, voiceover takes and any mixed stems.
4. Graphics and titles. Logos, lower thirds, motion graphics project files, and the rendered versions used in the edit.
5. Fonts. The font files themselves, or at least their exact names and where they come from. Missing fonts are the most common handoff surprise.
6. Music and licences. The tracks used, plus the licence or receipt for each. The next editor needs to know what they are allowed to use and where.
7. Colour and look. LUTs, presets, and a note on the colour pipeline.
8. Proxies (optional). If they are large and easy to regenerate, leave them out and say so. If they took hours to build, include them.
9. Exports so far. The latest review export, so the next editor can compare their reconnected timeline to what the client last saw.
10. A notes file. The single most useful thing in the package.
What goes in the notes file
Plain text, in the top of the folder, named README or HANDOFF. Include:
- Which software and version the project was built in.
- Which timeline or sequence is current.
- Where media lives inside the folder.
- What the client has approved and what is still open.
- Known issues: a flash frame you have not fixed, a temporary music track.
- Deadlines and who to contact for client questions.
Five minutes writing this saves hours of the next person reverse-engineering your decisions.
Folder structure for the handoff
Harbour Physio brand film - HANDOFF 2026-11-09/
HANDOFF.txt
01-project/
02-media/
03-audio/
04-graphics/
05-fonts/
06-music-and-licences/
07-colour/
08-exports/Keep it predictable. The next editor should be able to guess where something is before they look.
Sending it
A consolidated project can be hundreds of gigabytes. Email is out, and splitting it across several transfer links invites one part going missing or expiring early.
The sturdier approach is to upload the handoff folder to cloud storage and share the folder with a single link:
- Upload with a resumable uploader or a desktop sync client, so a dropped connection does not restart the upload. For hundreds of gigabytes, rclone is worth the five-minute setup: it copies the whole tree in parallel and a second run sends only what is missing.
- Share the folder, not a ZIP, so the next editor can start downloading the project file and notes while the media follows, or grab only what they are missing.
- Set an expiry with margin. A handoff that has to be redone because the link died is the most avoidable delay of all.
- Send the password separately if the footage is unreleased.
Our share links support folder links with passwords, expiry dates and download notifications, so you can see when the next editor has picked the files up. Once they have it, the next editor can leave notes pinned to an exact moment in a review export with timestamped comments, which keeps feedback on the footage instead of in a separate thread. For longer collaborations, inviting them into a shared workspace avoids the handoff round-trip altogether.
Verify on both ends
Before you consider the handoff done:
- Compare file counts and total size between your folder and what the recipient downloaded.
- Ask them to open the project and report offline media before they start working, not after.
- Compare the first review export they render with the last one you made. If they match, the project survived the trip.
For extra certainty on the largest files, compare checksums. Our checksums guide shows how in a couple of commands.
Related reading
If you are planning the storage side of video work, start with cloud storage for video editors. For sending a single finished film to a client at full quality, see how to send large video files without losing quality.
A good handoff feels boring to the person receiving it. That is the goal.
Frequently asked questions
What files do I need to hand off a video project?
The project file, all source media used in the timeline, audio, graphics and titles, fonts, music with its licences, any LUTs or presets, and a notes file explaining the structure. Proxies are optional if the next editor can regenerate them.
How do I avoid media going offline when another editor opens my project?
Use your editing software's project consolidation or media management feature to copy everything used into one folder, keep the folder structure intact, and tell the next editor which folder to relink to if anything shows as offline.
What is the best way to send a video project to another editor?
Upload the consolidated project folder to cloud storage and share the folder with a link that stays alive long enough for them to download it. Avoid splitting it across transfer services, and confirm the file count on both ends.
