Step 1: Create a folder to hold all your projects
There are two sets of folders you need to create to get organized
within Final Cut Pro: projects and media. Start by creating a folder to
store all your projects. At the top level of your boot disk, the one
holding the Applications folder, create a folder called "FCP Projects."
Step 2: Create a folder for every client and project
Inside the FCP Projects folder, create a folder for every client or
project category. Inside the client folder, create a folder for every
project. Then, store every script, memo, budget, Final Cut, LiveType or
Soundtrack project file, image, audio clip- Every
file related to that project in this folder. You can add subfolders to
further organize your files. Store every file-that is, except media
(see step 4).
Step 3: Create a consistent naming convention
If it’s way past midnight, but you can’t finish your project because
you can’t remember what you named the opening animation, you can
appreciate the need for a coordinated approach to naming your files.
Here’s the system I use:
  • JM01: Project code
  • JM01_02: Video tape number
  • JM01-Open.mov: Movie file name
  • JM01-px-Brown, Mary.tiff: Image file name
JM: The first two letters are an abbreviation of the
client’s name. Here, "JM" is for "Just-a-Moment Productions."
01: The job number. "01" is the first job from
Just-a-Moment Productions. "02" would be the second job, and so on.
02: The number of the videotape recorded for this job; "_02" is
the second tape recorded for this project. FCP prefers all tapes to
have unique reel IDs. By combining the project code with the video tape
number, you create a unique ID for each tape, with the added benefit
that tapes can be stored alphabetically by client, job and shoot.
I start all file names with the project number, then add a descriptive
phrase ("open.mov" for the opening animation, or "px- Brown, Mary " for
a picture of Mary Brown.) This way, if a file wanders away, I don’t
need to know the specific name of the file, I just do a global search
for "JM01" to display all related files.
Step 4: Put your media on a second drive
Media should always be stored to a second drive. Never store it
on your boot disk-it has too much else to do to play media reliably.
Call this folder "Final Cut Pro Documents." The spelling and
capitalization are important. Create a "Final Cut Pro Documents" folder
on every drive that you plan to use to capture media.
Step 5 Set scratch disks on every media drive
Launch Final Cut Pro. Choose Final Cut Pro > System Settings. Click
the top Set button at the middle of the screen. Navigate to your media
drive and select the Final Cut Pro Documents folder. Click Choose in
the lower right of the screen. Repeat this process for each media
drive. (Final Cut records media into the media drive that has the most
free space. This fills drives evenly, resulting in smoother playback.)
Never change your scratch disks. Once you have them set, leave them alone! Step 6 explains why.
There is no real advantage to separating capture files from media
files, so make sure all four checkboxes are checked. Never capture
audio and video to separate drives, either.
Set "Minimum Allowable Free Space" to "10000." Many hard disks slow
down as they get full. Setting the minimum free space to 10 GB (10,000
MB) prevents this.
Step 6: Immediately save all new projects-and find them more easily later
After you create a new project, save it immediately. Final Cut stores
all media and renders files in separate folders named after each
project. By never changing your scratch disks, Final Cut automatically
organizes your media into one folder per project, making everything
easy to find later.
Archiving your project when you’re done is a snap. Since all your
project files are in one project folder, drag the project folder on the
boot disk to a CD. For media, archive your camera master tapes and
trash all hard disk files by dragging the folder [2nd drive] > Final
Cut Pro Documents > Capture Scratch > [your project name] to the
trash.
YOUR GUIDE
Larry Jordan
Producer/director/editor
Larry Jordan is an Apple Certified Trainer in digital media,
specializing in Final Cut Pro, Motion and DVD Studio Pro. He’s a member
of both the Directors Guild and the Producers Guild of America, and an
award-winning producer, director and editor with more than 30 years of
production and post-production experience.
Larry Says Keep In Mind…
Video editing requires you to keep track of hundreds of files, which
means it’s better to get organized at the beginning than to clean up a
mess in the middle. You’d be surprised how often I get questions about
this seemingly simple process during my training sessions. By following
this system-which works the same within FCP 4, FCP HD or FCP 5-you
never have to worry about what files are named, where files are stored,
which files to archive or which files to trash at the end of a project.
Larry Jordan
www.larryjordan.biz
P.O. Box 578
Agoura, CA 91376
ph. 818.879.5105
email: larry@larryjordan.biz