Ok, first we learned to use png or tif instead of jpg. If you use avi for example you render into one big file - with a crash the whole sequence is lost. If you do it into separate single png's or tif's you only lose the last image when a crash happens, the rest is still save and saved on your disk. You don't have to start the whole thing again therefore.

One day your ship comes in - but you're at the airport.