SAVING A FCP PROJECT

Hi, Being somewhat new to FCP I could use some help here. Up until my current project (all my projects are personal and I just do for friends and family) I have always saved all video material and projects to the computer's hard drive. I have an IMac. Now my FCP says that the scratch disk is full. I have since started removing old material from the computer and have bought an external hard drive to store things.
My question is: After I had put all my new material on the external hard drive and started a new project the computer asked me where I wanted to save the project. The external hard drive came up as the first option so I clicked enter. Is there a right place to save my project or an option that makes the most sense? Should I have saved it to the FCP file or to the desktop? Hope this question makes sense.
Thanks,
Ray Rivera

> After I had put all my new material on the external hard drive and started a
> new project the computer asked me where I wanted to save the project.

First, a little friendly advice: If you're ever waiting for the computer to ask you to save, you're not saving often or early enough. That's supposed to be a safeguard, not a habitual crutch.

Search for "file management" in the forum for more detailed descriptions of file management.

You can save the project file anywhere you want. Some people recommend against saving it on the system drive; others recommend against saving it onto the external drive. Me, I arrange every project by drive, and I don't allow files for a certain project to "float" outside of its designated drive. So I have "Titanic Master Folder", and inside will be separate sub-folders for clips, project files, project-file archives, graphics etc.

Never save the project file mixed in with clip files. Very confusing, and it's entirely possible when you're dumping clips to erase the wrong thing. Segregate your files by type.

When working on a project, never rely on "Open last project" or "Open - Recent Files". Those options don't show you where the file actually is, so if you lose the file, you don't know where it actually resided. or you could accidentally open the wrong file and work on it. Always navigate manually to the file in the Finder, or use FCP's Open (APPLE-O) and navigate through the system, so that you know which file is the one you're working on.

Also pay attention to the Autosave Vault. Wherever you save your main project file, make sure your Autosave Vault is somewhere else. If you store the Autosave Vault on the same drive as the main project file, it will not protect you against drive failure -- you lose both the active project and the vault. Obviously, you should also do manual archives of your project file...at least once per session.


www.derekmok.com

To add to what derek said, file management is paramount

It is best to create a discreet directory for each any every project

A sample one, including the FCP made file would be as follows

MY MOVIE
-Capture Scratch
-AutoSave Vault
-Stills
-Voice Overs
-Animations
-Projects

So, you would manually navigate to MY Movie/Projects to load the project file
and as everything for the project is in its own folder, you have good organization

AND, when it comes time to back up the entire folder, you know which one to back-up

Never trust drives to last forever, always have a full backup at least once a week on your project.

My two cents...out






derekmok Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > After I had put all my new material on the
> external hard drive and started a
> > new project the computer asked me where I wanted
> to save the project.
>
> First, a little friendly advice: If you're ever
> waiting for the computer to ask you to save,
> you're not saving often or early enough. That's
> supposed to be a safeguard, not a habitual
> crutch.
>
> Search for "file management" in the forum for more
> detailed descriptions of file management.
>
> You can save the project file anywhere you want.
> Some people recommend against saving it on the
> system drive; others recommend against saving it
> onto the external drive. Me, I arrange every
> project by drive, and I don't allow files for a
> certain project to "float" outside of its
> designated drive. So I have "Titanic Master
> Folder", and inside will be separate sub-folders
> for clips, project files, project-file archives,
> graphics etc.
>
> Never save the project file mixed in with clip
> files. Very confusing, and it's entirely possible
> when you're dumping clips to erase the wrong
> thing. Segregate your files by type.
>
> When working on a project, never rely on "Open
> last project" or "Open - Recent Files". Those
> options don't show you where the file actually is,
> so if you lose the file, you don't know where it
> actually resided. or you could accidentally open
> the wrong file and work on it. Always navigate
> manually to the file in the Finder, or use FCP's
> Open (APPLE-O) and navigate through the system, so
> that you know which file is the one you're working
> on.
>
> Also pay attention to the Autosave Vault.
> Wherever you save your main project file, make
> sure your Autosave Vault is somewhere else. If
> you store the Autosave Vault on the same drive as
> the main project file, it will not protect you
> against drive failure -- you lose both the active
> project and the vault. Obviously, you should also
> do manual archives of your project file...at least
> once per session.

Quote
Mark
best to create a discreet directory for each any every project

i agree with Derek & Mark.

3 points in order of diminishing importance:

- i would definitely not keep my Autosave vault in the same directory.
i keep that on my system drive.

- i keep the FCP generated folders (Capture Scratch, Renders etc) in their own "Final Cut Pro Documents" folder within my Master-Folder.

- my projects folder (also in the Master Folder) is labelled *Projects.
the asterisk keeps it at the top of the pile


nick