Introduction: SD Cards

Most of our video and audio recording devices utilize SD cards for recording media. You can transfer footage from an SD card by inserting it into a card slot on a computer, or by using a USB card reader. The iMacs in the editing lab have built-in card reader slots. If you are using your personal computer and do not have a card slot, you can check out a USB card reader from the equipment checkout.

Using SD Cards

Different cameras have different file formats
Using an SD card between several different cameras without formatting it can cause files to become corrupted
When inserting an SD card into a camera, always format the card to the camera’s native file format
Formatting the SD card erases all data from the card
- If your card contains footage that you intend to keep, be sure to back it up so you don’t lose it forever once the camera formats your card!

Two SanDisk 64GB SD Cards.

Importing Footage

AVCHD File Format

Footage recorded in the AVCHD file format does not immediately appear on the first SD card folder when you open the card on your computer. There are two methods for importing this footage, and we recommend the first option if your recording was longer than one hour. We recommend the second option if your recording was shorter than one hour, and if you had multiple shorter clips. For ease of importing, we recommend not recording video in the AVCHD file format if other formats are available on your video camera. For instructions on importing .mov, .mp4, or other file formats, refer to the guide for the camera you used to record.

Option 1 for Mac Users (Recommended for longer recordings)

Once the SD card shows up on the desktop, double click the SD card icon to open it.
If you used one of the Sony cameras, you may have to first open the file marked "PRIVATE". Otherwise, skip to step 3
Right click the file marked AVCHD.
Select Show Package Contents.
Right click the file marked BDMV.
Click Show Package Contents.
Open the folder marked STREAM.
Selecting a clip and pressing the spacebar on your keyboard will allow you to preview a video, which can help in determining which files you want to transfer.
Drag the clips to where you want to store them.

Option 2 for Mac Users (Recommended for shorter recordings)

Once the SD card shows up on the desktop, double click the SD card icon to open it.
If you used one of the Sony cameras, you may have to first open the file marked "PRIVATE". Otherwise, skip to step 3.
Double click the file marked AVCHD.
You will see your footage clips appear as video thumbnails. Choose one by selecting it and then choosing "OK". This will open the video clip in QuickTime.
Once the file is opened in QuickTime, you can save it as a .MOV file. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for all clips.

Option for PC Users

Once the SD card shows up on the desktop, double click to open it.
Open the file marked PRIVATE.
Open the folder marked AVCHD (Do NOT copy this file off of the card unless you want to copy all of the footage captured on the camera).
Open the folder marked BDMV.
Open the folder marked STREAM.
View your clips by double clicking on them to see which ones you want to transfer.
Drag the clips to where you want to store them.

Importing Footage Directly into a Video Editing Program

While it is a good idea to keep a backup of your video footage on your computer, an external drive, or on the Cloud, you can also import your video footage directly from an SD card into a video editing program.

Refer to the support documentation for each editing software for more information on how to import SD card footage:

Import using the Media Browser (Adobe Premiere Pro)
Import into iMovie on Mac from file-based cameras
Import into Final Cut Pro for Mac from your Mac or storage device

File Size and Management

Cameras that record in .mov or M-JPEG (for 4K) can generate very large files. If you record in larger file formats, it is recommended that you export your final video as .mp4 so your video file does not take too long to transfer when sending to your instructor for viewing.

Refer to Adobe's Guide for exporting video to learn how to export in Premiere Pro.

If you don’t have a finished video and just have a video clip you want to share, you can use the program Handbrake to quickly compress a video file to .mp4.

Handbrake is installed on all the computers in the A&S Media Editing Lab, and it’s also free to download.

Before you import, use the folder hierarchy displayed below! You should start with your project folder, and all project assets, such as Premiere Pro files, your footage, exports, graphics, and music, should be located within that primary folder. This ensures that your project files are well organized so that both you and Premiere can find them. Make sure to save your project on your personal computer, the cloud, or on an external hard drive. Having it backed up in more than one place is also a good idea!

A diagram of folders.