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Media/Projects/File Organization
Hello everybody. I’ve am inquiring about overall computer and project/media organization. I work at a video production company and we have just purchased a 2 TB Lacie external HD. We already have a 1 TB internal RAID and another 500 GB external HD that are all nearly full. I am taking this opportunity to try and set-up a very organized and full-proof file/project/media arrangement. We have been playing with fire and have had no real file back-up system in place and I know the time is coming when we will get burned if we don’t try and take preventative steps. I am willing to spend the time to do a complete re-arrangement, but my brain is not wired to set-up an organized file flow. Any and all help would be appreciated!
Just so you know currently I have my projects folders within my main documents folder. Within the projects folder are the individual project folders. Each of these consist of 5 folders (Graphics, Input, Output, Sequences and Audio). The media scratch disk has been set to the internal RAID drive within the default FCP documents folder. Generally speaking we have been keeping video media files on the HD for 3 months before trashing and deleting them.
Thanks for the help!
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7 Replies
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If you wait a few weeks, I am creating a tutorial DVD on organization in FCP. I am wrapping up the final tutorials and it should be done soon.
Shane
FCP Preferences set to UNCONTROLLED ADVICE
Littlefrog Post
http://www.lfhd.net -
It’s really easy, whatever you can’t recapture or rerender, back it up. Bare SATA drives are cheap, so buy two.
Jeremy
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Thanks. Maybe I’ll try and hold out for your DVD, sounds like just the thing I could use. Will your DVD also be discussing overall computer organization (such as Photoshop or AE project files that were created for a FCP project)? Any idea on what the cost will be?
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I will talk about how to organize your captured media, media created in third party applications such as After Effects, music, stills…everything you use in your project.
We haven’t locked down a cost or a release date yet. I am still working on it (as we speak) and when I am done it will need to get into the mass production phase.
Hopefully not too long from now.
Shane
FCP Preferences set to UNCONTROLLED ADVICE
Littlefrog Post
http://www.lfhd.net -
Here’s my folder templates (these are below the “main” folder for each project). Each time I start a new project, these are copied & pasted:
3D
AFX
Art
Audio
client review
Consolidated Project
Do Not Archive
DVD
encodes
FCP project
Motion
QT refs
Reference
renders
SFX
Shake
Stills
Stock
TEMP
TextAll media is initially captured on my RAID. DV media may be transferred to external FW drives as needed to free space on the RAID. Media at rates higher than DV stays on the RAID. All project files are on the RAID. IMPORTANT – the RAID is Mode 3, so any single drive can fail without losing data. Just replace failed drive & the RAID goes back to full speed. Thus I’ve no need for “intermediate” backups; the critical project data is secured by the RAID. My next step will be to add a SATA RAID 0 (no safety net) on which to place higher resolution media requiring faster than FW throughput. The critical aspect is that all project data is on a safe RAID 3 box, while easily re-digz’d media files on are on “non-protected” drives.
After the project is done, I archive project data in the above folder structure to data DVDs. These are then databased via Disktracker software. It never takes me more than a few seconds to locate anything from a past project.
(In case you’re wondering, “Do Not Archive” folder is for data coming in via CD/DVD, so not needing redundant backup/archiving).
“Constituo, ergo sum”
Bob Woodhead / Atlanta
http://www.CoolNewMedia.net
Quantel-Avid-FCP-3D-Crayola -
OP: > I am taking this opportunity to try and set-up a very organized and full-proof file/project/media arrangement.< There is no such solution. > After the project is done, I archive project data in the above folder structure to data DVDs. These are then databased via Disktracker software. It never takes me more than a few seconds to locate anything from a past project.< I'm going round and round with a buddy on this subject right now. I wish to point out that any corrupt or damaged file will be on the RAID 0, providing no recovery protection at all. The only foolproof backup strategy is to have incremental clones on a shelf. Generally this is not much of an issue with video since most of it can be recaptured and, as long as the project files and other resources are available, most stuff can be re-rendered. DVDs are tempting as archive media but there is no long-range estimate of their stability (only simulations and marketing hype) and there is no guarantee that you will have a DVD player in ten years. The most viable backup storage system still seems to be hard drives but that decision depends on many factors. When FW drives first came out, we were still using Media 100. We cloned off the project to the relatively inexpensive FW drive and simply put a label on it and put it in a file cabinet. We've still got some of those projects but we have no Media 100 hardware any longer so recovering those projects would be difficult using a transcoder from M100. Media 100 may not be in existence in another year so we could be totally screwed if we ever really needed those media files. Sorry for the ramble. Trying to point out there is no ideal solution except maybe printing to tape. bogiesan This is my standard sigfile so do not take it personally: “For crying out loud, read the freakin’ manual.”
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Thank you everybody for your input. I guess I knew there is no “full-proof” way to back up, organize and archive, but these suggestions will be very helpful and probably help us avoid any major disasters. Thanks!!!
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