Even in a pre-pandemic world, before social distancing became a permanent part of our reality, remote video editors struggled to collaborate with other members of their team as they edited footage from one or more cameras off-site.

This workflow has been especially common in TV and film, where dailies editors at a post-production house may be working on footage in their New York office that was shot yesterday in Miami.

Typically, editors, directors, and producers have been plagued with long email chains and clunky Zoom meetings as they attempt to collaborate across the distance. Now that remote work is becoming more the norm not just for editors but for many members of a video production team; there needs to be a better way.

If you’re attempting to navigate a remote workflow for your video editing, never fear. We’ve compiled some of the most common challenges that face remote video editors and found solutions to help you overcome them, so you can work smarter, not harder.

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4 Common Challenges of Remote Video Editing (and How to Overcome Them)

Challenge #4: File security

This is a big one for anyone working with sensitive content, such as much-anticipated film or TV releases, but really should be a top concern for any video editing pro who wants to ensure that their projects remain intact un-damaged.

As the remote work world has exponentially grown, so have digital threats. With more sensitive information being shared within the digital space than ever before, the reward of a big score has enticed hackers and malware creators to come up with ever more intelligent programs designed to steal and disrupt.

When working remotely, file security must be of the highest priority, and here are some ways you can ensure your data is protected and secure.

Use hard-drive transfers when possible.

Sometimes, the safest transfer is one that's done hand-to-hand. If it's possible, have your team members bring you hard drives or camera cards directly, reducing the risk of information being lost, damaged, or stolen in digital transit.

Only deliver content through HTTPS

HTTPS is a form of encrypted content that requires an SSL certificate to be generated by the host before it forms a secure, encrypted transfer between the host and the user accessing the information, preventing third parties from intercepting the data. In short, it helps ensure that only your intended recipient can access your files, and they’re safe from prying eyes.

Backup files to encrypted drives

Security extends to storage as well. When you're storing files, make sure you have multiple backups, and those backups are stored with high-level encryption to ensure no unauthorized access can be achieved.

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Challenge #3: Operating system conflicts

The Apple vs. Microsoft battle has never been felt more personal than when it comes to remote editing collaboration. There can be described no more sinking panic than when you find out you're collaborating with an editor that works on a Mac while you're humming away on your custom build.

Operating system conflicts can be a nightmare when trying to share files between team members, but there is a software solution you can work with that will help you smooth over this roadblock.

If you have a PC, invest in the HFS+ for Windows software that will enable you to read HFS+ formatted drives and files. This way, both you and your Mac-based collaborator can share a single HFS+ formatted drive that both your computers can read.

When sharing finished files with clients who may be operating on different operating systems, ensure you’re using universally recognized file formats, such as .mov, that can be read by any OS.

While neither of these solutions allows you to work simultaneously with your collaborators or clients, they will allow you to get over the wall separating your two workflows.

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Challenge #2: Moving large media files between collaborators

As digital video gets more advanced, file sizes only continue to grow. When transferring files along with a LAN network inside a collaborative editing suite or taking cards directly from the camera, this problem is fairly minor. But when editing from a distance, this problem can feel insurmountable.

Long download and upload times eat away at precious editing time and bottleneck the workflow significantly.

Thankfully, you can utilize a few services to help accelerate your workflow when dealing with transferring large files between team members.