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Produce · Verified media

# Import footage and organise media

Import is deliberately a verified copy, never a move. A recorder can alternatively write straight into an episode's Footage folder, and finished reusable media can be placed directly in a B-roll Library category. The app discovers either without making another media copy.

## Record directly from multiple phones

In a Series template, declare nested paths such as `Footage/Camera A` and `Footage/Camera B`. Create the episode, then select the matching folder as each Viewfinder source's destination. After2AM Studio scans active episode Footage folders every 10 seconds, including nested camera folders.

1. Keep the app open and Primary storage connected.
2. Record into the camera-specific episode folder.
3. Wait for recording to finish. The file must keep the same size and modification date for 20 seconds before it is catalogued.
4. Find it in Media Library. Video receives the same total duration and representative-frame thumbnail as an imported clip. Repeated scans recognise the same managed path and do not add a duplicate entry.

No duplicate media file

Direct discovery records the file where Viewfinder wrote it. The scan itself does not run the copy importer, immediately rename the recording, or create a second file. Because there is no separate copy to compare, its integrity appears as unverified. Thumbnail and duration extraction are read-only and the app confirms the source stayed unchanged while generating them.

The filename may change on the next app launch

After a direct recording is catalogued, After2AM Studio treats that file as managed media. When the app next starts or reloads the library, it applies its portable-filename policy and physically renames a file whose name needs cleaning. For example, `After2AM 2026-08-03 10.59.10.mov` becomes `After2AM 2026-08-03 10 59 10.mov`. A collision receives `-2`, `-3`, and so on.

Editing tools such as DaVinci Resolve link clips by their path and filename, so this later rename can make a clip appear offline. Prefer portable recording names from the outset. Otherwise, after discovery, restart After2AM Studio once and confirm the final name in Finder before adding the clip to an editing project. If a clip is already offline, reveal the managed file and relink it in the editor.

## Place finished media directly on the B-roll drive

While After2AM Studio is open and B-roll Library storage is online, it scans `B-Roll`, `App Demos`, `Graphics`, `Audio`, and `Other reusable assets` every 10 seconds. Nested real folders are included.

1. Finish the copy or export into one of the five categories.
2. Leave the file unchanged for 20 seconds. The app checks size and modification date across scans so a still-rendering video does not appear complete.
3. Open Media Library. The file appears as New, with its category and nested folders added as initial keywords. Video duration and a representative frame are generated when the format supports them.

Discovery catalogs the existing file in place

It does not invoke the copy importer, replace the finished file, or add a duplicate media copy. Hidden files, symbolic links, sidecars, and media outside the five managed categories are ignored. Because there is no second copy to compare, integrity appears as unverified.

## Verify the destination every time

Open Import Footage with ⇧⌘I, the toolbar, or an episode’s Media tab. Choose a source label—Local folder, AirDrop, SD card, or External SSD—then add one or several video, audio, or image files.

Destination | Stored location | Use for
--- | --- | ---
An active episode | `Episode/Footage` | Camera originals and episode-specific media.
Media Library | `After2AM Media/B-Roll`, `App Demos`, `Graphics`, `Audio`, or `Other reusable assets` | Reusable video, audio, and photos. Falls back to Primary until B-roll Library storage is configured.

The opening context sets the initial destination

Import from Media Library starts at the reusable library. The global importer may preselect an active episode. Always confirm Destination before starting the copy.

## What happens to each file

1. Preflight. The app checks the source, destination, free space, managed paths, storage identity, and the selected episode folder.
2. Copy. Bytes go into a hidden partial file. A name collision receives a unique portable name; the existing destination is preserved.
3. Verify. The copied file receives a SHA-256 digest and is compared with the source.
4. Commit. Only a verified file becomes the visible organised copy.
5. Catalogue. The app records the file and creates a video preview when possible.

Originals are read-only inputs

Import never changes or deletes a selected source. “Remove Media” later concerns the organised managed copy, not the original card, AirDrop item, or source disk.

## Understand Copied and Reused

If a selected file exactly matches an already catalogued file in the relevant managed area, the app may reuse it instead of writing another copy. Before reuse, the existing path, file type, stable metadata, managed root, and a fresh SHA-256 digest are checked again.

The completion screen distinguishes:

Recorded Files successfully represented in the catalogue.
Copied Fresh verified organised files written this time.
Reused Exact verified managed files safely linked again.

## When a batch needs attention

A failed file normally does not stop later selections. The final summary shows succeeded, failed, and cancelled counts. Cancellation preserves files that already completed verification and catalogue recording, then cancels remaining work.

A catalogue-save failure is different: the app stops the remaining batch because it will not keep copying when durable metadata is unavailable. If a file had already been verified, use Reveal Verified Uncataloged File and preserve it while resolving the save problem.

## Use the Media Library

Filter by Video, Audio, Photo, exact keyword, minimum rating, Favourites, or New. Search covers the filename, notes, and stored keywords, and the sort menu offers recent, rating, usage, and name order. Hide Details collapses the fixed-width inspector so the media grid can use the full page width.

Every card uses the same clipped 16:9 preview area regardless of the original video or image aspect ratio. New video previews are normalized to 1280×720. For media on B-roll Library storage, the compact preview is kept on Primary storage under `Media/.Thumbnails/B-roll`, so it remains visible when the external drive is disconnected.

Move the pointer horizontally across a video thumbnail to scrub through a small set of representative frames. These scrub frames use a 24 MB memory cache and a disposable macOS cache that is capped at 256 MB and removes least-recently-used frames first. Only videos you actually scrub add compressed frames to that cache, and changing a source video invalidates its old frames. Quick pointer movement is delayed to avoid unnecessary decoding.

- Selecting a NEW item clears its new badge.
- Use Quick Look or Finder to inspect the real managed file.
- Set a 0–5 rating, favourite useful material, and add or remove searchable keywords.
- Use Save to commit media notes or Discard to restore the last saved text. Search sees the committed notes, while a low-frequency recovery snapshot protects an unfinished edit.
- Look for the link count on a card to see whether the file is used by an episode.
- Review the exact linked episodes in the inspector; select one to open it.
- An OFFLINE or WRONG DRIVE badge concerns the full-resolution source; a cached preview may still be shown.
- Review source, file size, duration, and integrity in the inspector.
- Choose Rescan after reorganising the B-roll folders. The catalogue immediately adds new paths and removes stale entries for files that were renamed, moved, or deleted; the rescan itself never deletes a media file.

## Remove media without touching the source

If another catalogue entry shares the same managed file, removal deletes only the selected entry. Otherwise, the organised copy and generated preview move to macOS Trash after confirmation. The original import source is always left alone.

Command-click individual cards, Shift-click a range, or drag a marquee across the grid to select several items. Choose Delete Selected to confirm the whole group at once. Shared stored files remain in place until their final catalogue entry is removed, and a failure on one item does not stop the app from processing the rest of the selection.

Archived episodes must be restored before importing new footage. Import is also blocked during archive/restore, pending cleanup, unavailable or read-only Primary storage, unsafe destinations, and missing episode folders.