Media Administrator Best Practices

This guide provides essential tips and best practices for administrators setting up and running a cloud-based media environment with Nomad Media. These recommendations are based on real-world implementation experience.

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1. File Transfer & Cloud Access Setup

Choosing the Right Tool

When working with cloud storage (AWS S3), use a drive mounting or transfer utility for bulk uploads and daily file management:

• Dedicated transfer apps: CyberDuck, S3 Browser Pro
• Virtual drive mounting tools (recommended): TntDrive (Windows), Mountain Duck (Mac)

Both offer equivalent speed, but virtual drive mounting provides a more familiar local-drive experience.

Critical Setup Requirements

• Always purchase the full license (~$50/user) — the free version runs significantly slower.
• Use consistent drive letter mapping across all workstations (e.g., always drive T:).
• Configure individual user accounts — never use shared credentials. Individual accounts ensure accountability.
• Implement credential rotation using IAM Identity Center.
• Enable versioning on your S3 bucket — this is your undo button for accidental deletions or overwrites.

Cache Behavior

Drive mapping tools often include local caching. With large media files, cache can fill up quickly. Consider disabling it for more predictable behavior, or monitor disk space closely if you keep it enabled.

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2. Working with Cloud-Mounted Drives

Cloud Drives Are Not Local Drives

Cloud-mounted drives look like regular file systems but behave differently. Rename, move, or copy operations require downloading the entire file, modifying it, and re-uploading — what takes milliseconds locally can take hours in the cloud.

A folder rename with 10,000 files could take 6+ hours. Users must not turn off their computers during these operations.

User Training Is Mandatory

Do not deploy cloud drive access without proper training. Create a certification process covering:

• How file operations differ from local storage
• The time implications of renaming/moving folders
• Proper workflows for uploading and downloading
• When to work locally vs. directly on the cloud drive

Permission Strategy

• Default to read-only access for most users.
• Grant read-write only to users who understand the implications and have completed training.

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3. S3 Bucket Configuration

Your S3 bucket must have:

1. Versioning enabled — recovery from accidental deletions or overwrites
2. Logging configured — audit trail of all access
3. Public access blocked — never allow public access to media buckets
4. Appropriate IAM roles — follow the principle of least privilege

Use AWS default security settings as a baseline — they are well-designed for most use cases.

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4. Directory Structure Best Practices

Never place files at the root level of your bucket. Always use a folder hierarchy. Create three primary top-level folders:

RAW

• Master source content that never changes
• Read-only by default
• Your intellectual property archive
• Content from cameras, recording devices, or original sources

FINAL (or "Produced")

• Completed, deliverable content
• High-resolution final outputs ready for end-user consumption
• Rendered videos, final images, completed audio files

PROJECTS (or "WIP")

• Active working files and project materials
• Contains editing project files, fonts, supporting materials
• References content from RAW — does not duplicate it
• Move to archive when complete

Consider a parent folder (e.g., media/ or your department name) above these three if multiple departments will share the same bucket.

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5. Organizing RAW Content

Secure vs. Non-Secure

If you have content with different security requirements (unreleased footage, sensitive material):

• Create Secure and Non-Secure subfolders within RAW.
• Apply this pattern to PROJECTS and FINAL as needed.

Folder Hierarchy Options

Option A — Date-First (recommended):

RAW/
  Non-Secure/
    2025/
      11/
        Zoom/
        Fathom/
        Field-Recording/

Option B — Source-First:

RAW/
  Non-Secure/
    Zoom/
      2025/
        11/

Date-first is more versatile because users can correlate content to specific time periods and it scales better as content sources multiply.

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6. Organizing FINAL Content

Structure by Deliverable Type

For series/episodic content:

FINAL/
  Documentary-ABC/
    S01/
      Episodes/
        E01/
        E02/
      Trailers/
    S02/

• Use codes like S01, S02 (seasons) and E01, E02 (episodes).
• Place all formats from the same output in the same folder (MP4, ProRes, audio-only, cover art).
• Start simple — add complexity only when needed.

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7. Managing Work-In-Progress (PROJECTS)

Current vs. Archive

• Current/ — Active projects being worked on
• Archive/ — Completed projects for reference

Project Folder Structure

PROJECTS/
  Current/
    2025-11/
      Documentary-ABC/
        Episode-01/
          Premiere/
          Audio/
          Fonts/
          Supporting-Docs/

Key principles:

• Start each project folder with a YYYY-MM date prefix.
• Use the same project name as in the FINAL folder.
• Let editing software (e.g., Premiere) manage its own internal subfolder structure.

Referencing, Not Duplicating

Do not copy RAW content into your PROJECTS folder. Reference files using relative paths (e.g., ../../../RAW/[path]/file.mp4). This prevents duplication and reduces storage costs.

Moving to Archive

When a project is complete: export deliverables to FINAL, then move the project folder from Current/ to Archive/.

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8. Adobe Creative Suite Integration

Adobe applications (Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop) work well with mapped drives.

• Small files (< 1GB): Working directly from the cloud drive is usually fine.
• Large files (≥ 1GB): Download to local storage first, edit locally, then upload the finished work back.

Give Premiere its own dedicated subfolder. Do not manually reorganize Premiere's internal file structure.

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9. Documentation & Training

Create a formal folder structure document (Google Doc or Word):

• Diagram your folder hierarchy
• Include naming conventions with examples
• Make it the team's official reference

Training should cover:

1. How to access the cloud drive
2. Understanding the folder structure
3. Where to put different types of content
4. Cloud drive operational differences from local storage
5. What operations to avoid
6. Who to contact for help

Consider requiring team members to complete training and sign off on key policies before receiving write access.

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10. Workflow for Incoming Content

For each incoming content type (Fathom recordings, Zoom calls, Teams meetings, field footage, phone recordings), define:

1. Which folder structure it maps to
2. The upload workflow
3. Who is responsible for organizing the content
4. Naming conventions

Ingestion checklist:

• Determine content date
• Identify content source/type
• Check if releases are needed (Secure vs. Non-Secure)
• Place in appropriate RAW subfolder
• Use consistent file naming

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11. Common Pitfalls to Avoid