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I'm wondering, how do you organize your pictures/videos on your hard drive.

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joris.blanc
Posts: 914 - Karma: 6,584
So it's time for me to do a little bit of cleaning on my desktop and organize all my media in folders but I'm having a hard time finding a practical way to structure it. I started filming a bit more this season, mostly because I bought a 7D so often times I shoot videos and pictures on the same day and that's the big reason why I'm having this dilemma.

Until now all my media files would go into the "My Pictures" folder and organised like this:

-Freestyle.ch
+ 2010
+ 2012
+ 2013
- Cruises
+ MSC 2011...
+ 2009

etc. and all the pictures/videos would be in those sub folders.

Now to try and organize my pics/vids I was thinking of keeping this king of organisation system and add some sub-folders like this

-Freestyle.ch
+ 2012
- Videos
- Pictures
+ JPEG
+ RAW
+ 2013
- Videos
- Pictures
+ JPEG
+ RAW

But this feels like every media files is hidden deep down in a tree of folders.

An other idea that came to mind was to have a structure like this

- media library
+ pictures
-Freestyle.ch
+ 2012
+ 2013
+ videos
-Freestyle.ch
+ 2012
+ 2013

--- and so on

So my big question is how do you organize in an efficient was you media files ?? And yes I'm a bit picky but I like it when it is easy to get around on my hard drive.

Thanks
Feb 26 2013 7:35PM
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joris.blanc
Posts: 914 - Karma: 6,584
I had nice tabulations for my folder system, seem's like they got lost when posting it haha.
Hope you can still understand it :P
Feb 26 2013 7:38PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,386
LR does it for me on import - my folders are organized as such:


Photo
- Personal
- Client Work
- Skiing
--021813_KingsCrownSamKutcher
--022613_GrizzlyTourSamBrody


each dash represents a new level of folder. I organize by date and title like so: MMDDYY_DescriptiveTitle


It all sits on my external.

Feb 26 2013 7:47PM
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eheath
Posts: 61603 - Karma: 123,069
This is how I organize all of my external drives (all folders)

VIDEO
-Raw
--(Location_Date)
-Prores
--(Location_Date)
-(usually have other random folders that have their own distinction)
PROJECTS
-AE projects
-Premier Projects
EXPORTS
(no folders)
SCRATCH
scratch folders
OTHER
random titles, etc

It's proven to be very efficient for me, I like it.
Feb 26 2013 7:57PM
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Holte
Posts: 10740 - Karma: 7,814
Once you get to a certain amount of media, there's no way around organizing in a serious folder tree. I use

ProjectName+Year
-Edit (Premiere, FCP projects, etc)
-Color
---Colored
---Uncolored
-GFX
-Media
---Audio
---Photos
---ProxyFootage
---RawFootage
-----5D
-----1DC
-----Epic
-Exports (rough cuts, final masters, etc)
-VFX
---ShotName
-----Plates
-----Projects
-----Exports
Feb 26 2013 8:00PM
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corona
Posts: 12795 - Karma: 32,750
I'm pretty simple about it, something like this:


2008
-jan
-feb
---jay trip
-march
-etc etc
2009
2010
2011
panoramas
-complete
-incomplete
movies
school stuff
to be sorted
Feb 26 2013 8:25PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,386
lightroom
Feb 26 2013 9:19PM
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t_rob
Posts: 6433 - Karma: 11,458
While all of this folder naming and layers is very important. I think this is an excellent place to touch on file naming as well.



YYYY_MM_DD_FILMERINITIALS_FEATURENAME_RIDER_TRICK_NUMBER.extension

Obviously you can name your files whatever you want but this also makes them super easy to locate and search as you can do finds by the inputs. Also look into colors to denote the A,B,cuts, and whatever else you want.
Feb 26 2013 9:39PM
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MatRich
Posts: 4789 - Karma: 1,813
why do you insist on using more than double the memory by converting to prores when you use premiere?

Even if I dont agree with the logic behind converting to prores, why not delete the original h264?
Feb 26 2013 9:48PM
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.qzyxya
Posts: 1479 - Karma: -26
Threads. My computer's a mess. I basically have a folder that's called 'old shit' and put everything that im not working on in it, and then I put the current project in a folder on the desktop. lol.
That lightroom stuff sounds interesting, but wouldn't you have to rename every single file? I wouldn't have the time to name the rider and feature and all for every single clip... That'd take ages.
Feb 26 2013 10:11PM
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eheath
Posts: 61603 - Karma: 123,069
I meant to note that I use my "raw" MTS files now that I use windows 7 and premier. Before when I used fcp I had to use prores. I don't use h264 I don't own a dslr
Feb 26 2013 10:13PM
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vandersteeze
Posts: 2650 - Karma: 1,511
Since I am a film whore, I organize my scanned film first by format, then by sheet/roll (with a number corresponding to a number written on the archival sheet). The filename is setup as

format_archivalsheet(roll #)_framenumber.tiff

Here is my directory layout (anything without an extension is a folder)

-!Film
-01 35mm
-001
-01_01_1.tiff
-01_01_2.tiff
Feb 26 2013 10:15PM
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t_rob
Posts: 6433 - Karma: 11,458
All of the archive should exist in the original format and only the stuff used in the edit should be converted to prores. That is the logic behind it. It makes much more sense when a huge archive exists.
Feb 26 2013 10:16PM
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MatRich
Posts: 4789 - Karma: 1,813
do you convert your mts files or do they go right in, im buying an fs700 soon and I need havnt checked that out yet.
Feb 26 2013 10:31PM
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eheath
Posts: 61603 - Karma: 123,069
I use straight MTS in adobe, straight from the card, it works well.
Feb 26 2013 10:31PM
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cwillygood
Posts: 6831 - Karma: 1,829
Year - Season - Month and them something particular about those series of video/photos that will remind me

i feel it works pretty darn well, sometime i label the videos i use which makes things even easier for editing/ organization
Feb 26 2013 10:35PM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,232
I'm all over the place and need to reorganize

right now (spanned over like, 3 hard drives), photos are laid out in the typical
2013
2013-01-01
pic0001.cr2
pic6969.cr2
2013-01-02
etc
Feb 27 2013 12:16AM
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TijmenDal
Posts: 4849 - Karma: 1,295
- Last import (I just import my whole CF to this folder)

From there I start moving the photo's to the right folder (much quicker than importing to the 'right' folder straight away).

I make a difference between personal and client stuff.
From there I just sort by:
- Year
--- Month
----Event
Feb 27 2013 7:45AM
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Jelle
Posts: 337 - Karma: 715
What codec should I convert to when I use Premiere with my GoPro for the best perfomance within Premiere?
Feb 27 2013 10:06AM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
Format>year>day/event
Feb 27 2013 10:53AM
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.qzyxya
Posts: 1479 - Karma: -26
Do you just make a folder with the name of the stuff inside (ie year_month_day_rider etc) or do you rename every file?
Feb 27 2013 11:09AM
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t_rob
Posts: 6433 - Karma: 11,458
automator works wonders if you have a mac. There's obviously programs if you're running windows. It's a great start but obviously you have to do a lot of the work manually.
Feb 27 2013 11:24AM
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eheath
Posts: 61603 - Karma: 123,069
Just the raw files from the gopro work fine with premier given your computer is decently fast.
Feb 27 2013 1:07PM
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eheath
Posts: 61603 - Karma: 123,069
a lot more "formal" labeling systems include full date, location, subject, feature, shot type. But, when I label shots for myself, I just have folders that are labeled by day so then I just label shots name, trick and dont worry about the shot type or full date or location. For the most part, i'll remember a shot from when I logged it and the label just helps remind me which clips had the shot that I remembered.
Feb 27 2013 1:10PM
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jeano
Posts: 333 - Karma: 104
i just throw everything in one folder called photo
Feb 27 2013 4:55PM
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Downtofilm
Posts: 6896 - Karma: 20,395
Doooood du u leik film fer peerrrbeoyzz?
Feb 27 2013 5:29PM
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t_rob
Posts: 6433 - Karma: 11,458
No, I don't. But I do happen to be friend's with many members of the crew. While we're on the subject, what is your issue with me? Your post here and the one you made on my instagram are rather... cunty.
Feb 27 2013 6:04PM
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Brentizzle
Posts: 1584 - Karma: 1,871
this is pretty much exactly what i do. except instead of having the filmer initials we have it separated into what camera it was filmed on.
Feb 27 2013 6:21PM
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Downtofilm
Posts: 6896 - Karma: 20,395
I dont have a deal with you, that post wasent directed towards you're filming or anything, It was directed to the way you name shots (I do the same) (poorboyz's file structure) no hate bruh. I dont even remember the insta, was it the RED on the 701? I lol at anyone that puts a red on a manfrotto, just makes me chuckle.
Feb 27 2013 7:07PM
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Mkvackay
Posts: 1903 - Karma: 5,465
i still barely label because i am lazy and it takes a long time, but i use what tsp uses when i actually do it

conditions_feature_rider_trick/bail/scenic_description
Feb 27 2013 7:31PM
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t_rob
Posts: 6433 - Karma: 11,458
Sorry for overreacting. I thought there was some malice in there.

You're right, it is the PBP structure and I posted it because it is the PBP structure.

Obviously a Red one on a 501 isn't ideal but it got the job done. There were many haters and there and none of us knew the story (more like 5 stories). One day Johnny called Cody and asked if he he wanted the Red shipped out. I don't think anyone's saying no to a free Red, at least in skiing anyway, maybe Kurt Morgan would pass.

The head was fine. The legs on 2 tripods weren't fans of that brick.
Feb 27 2013 7:33PM
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Downtofilm
Posts: 6896 - Karma: 20,395
Word, yeah its just something I see a lot and it makes me laugh.

No hate intended though, I sure would not say no to a free red.
Feb 27 2013 7:38PM
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eheath
Posts: 61603 - Karma: 123,069
I would rather shoot my fs100 over a red one. I'd be stoked on an epic or scarlet but 75% of the time I'd still rather shoot an fs100/700
Feb 27 2013 7:50PM
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t_rob
Posts: 6433 - Karma: 11,458
Which is why it was exclusively used for 2k @ 96.
Feb 27 2013 8:23PM
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eheath
Posts: 61603 - Karma: 123,069
Ya for sure, with the 700 now its insane how good the 120 and 240 are the red one is just so outdated and such a pain in the ass to use
Feb 27 2013 9:06PM
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Brock.
Posts: 5698 - Karma: 1,332
I use random folders named based on the days I shot them, or the projects I'm working on. I convert to prores right off the card and delete the OG files. I rename each clip like this (skier)/(feature)/(trick).

- Sunny_Day_Mslm
-- Sherman270outflatbar
ect...

It's really simple and works for me.

I just cleaned out my computer... I basically took everything that was from the last year or so and shoved it into a folder on my external 2tb and named it 11/12. It's like 200gb worth of stuff that I probably won't use again.

My desktop is always a total mess too, I just throw everything on my desktop and then spend a half hour sorting it into folders once it's accumulated too much.


Feb 27 2013 10:21PM
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joris.blanc
Posts: 914 - Karma: 6,584
Thanks a lot for all the great answers I got. So there I finally managed to arrange all my media in files and this is what I have now.

On the root of my hard drive I have a folder names "Media Library"

And inside I have this :

- Edits
-- _export (contains all my edits I exported)
-- Skiing
--- A day with bla bla bla
--- An other edit

- Photos
-- _assets (contains all stuff I may need when exporting my images, watermark and stuff like this)
-- Freestyle.ch
--- 2013
--- 2012
-- Other comps 1
-- Other comps 2
-- Skiing

- Photoshop
-- Picture name
-- picture name 2

- Sequences
-- _Export (all my finished sequences)
-- Freestyle.ch
-- Other comps 1
--- Riders name
---- Trick name
-- Other comps 2
--- Riders name
---- Trick name

- Timelapses
-- _Export (exported videos of the timelapses with color correction)
-- Pictures
--- year-month-day_name of what it is
--- year-month-day_name of what it is 2

- Videos
-- Skiing
-- Freestyle.ch

This is for the file structure
Then the file names I'm using something like this

year-month-day_Location_riders/what is the subject etc...

The files Photos and Videos are just the collection of all the videos and photos I have. If I use a video for an edit I will copy it in its edit file !

Then I have exactly the same file structure on my Raid backup hard drive so I can easily backup the files and not have duplicates of them everywhere.
Mar 14 2013 11:49AM
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Amarino
Posts: 218 - Karma: 2,417
Year-Date-Location-Park/Trail-Name of skier-Trick

In a folder with the date and location.
Mar 14 2013 11:32PM
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BlackcountryBill
Posts: 955 - Karma: 576
Just bumping this because it's super useful!
Sep 5 2015 3:58PM
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lIllI
Posts: 1255 - Karma: 1,986
I put everything on my desktop.
Sep 5 2015 5:35PM
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