Project Files + Folders + Different Projects

So, I have a folder called "Shorts" where I want to put my short film project files+assets.
In it, I have my project files for various short movies, music, stills, fx files etc.
I have it like this so that If i'm working on a new short and I want to use something from an older short film (music, stills, etc) I did I can go to the folder quickly.

Is this a good idea or is it better to keep each project in its separate folder?

I'm open to different kinds of workflows.
I'd like to know how other folks sort their projects.

Thanks!!!

Project name> project related assets

FCP documents> render and capture files



www.strypesinpost.com

> Is this a good idea or is it better to keep each project in its separate folder?

I think the system outlined above is a bad idea.

If something happens to that one folder, you can kiss about 15 projects buh-bye. You'll have a mix of many disparate elements that don't belong together, and you'll have to design a much more complicated file-name system to avoid repeats. And unlike one ongoing project, it will be a lot harder to keep track of where you're at on which project.

While what I'm outlining can happen if you have one drive containing multiple master folders for multiple projects, you're increasing the danger by having one single folder contain everything.

If you want to access contents of older project files, it's as simple as duplicating said project file and putting it into a folder that's part of the file system for the project at hand. Even the Autosave Vault -- usually in your system drive -- can do that job. I think you have your priorities backwards, designing your file management and organization around a rare operation (accessing old project for old content) that may constitute maybe 0.5 per cent of your work, rather than accommodating the needs of the other 99.5 per cent.

On every drive I use, I always have one master folder per project. No mixing allowed. If I need to pull an edited Sequence from another project, I open that project file briefly, copy the necessary Browser/Timeline elements, paste them into the current project, and rename them (usually something like "Ref Seq 101 Titanic v104 Edit", to distinguish it from editing sequences). And I close the older project as soon as possible.

If I need file elements from an older project, I'd duplicate them and put them into the current project's master folder, and I reconnect their virtual equivalents in the FCP project file to the new location associated with the current project. That's why I don't have elements go missing when I transfer projects from drive to drive or station to station.


www.derekmok.com

i keep most everything for each project in it's own folder.
there might be a few shared items, but not many.
most of the shared clips are things like clock leaders,
and even those i tend to copy across as they are so small.

i would definitely start working in discrete folders for each project
but there's nothing to stop you from having those folders inside ANOTHER folder that might be for "Shorts", or "PhillyFilmmaker's Own Projects" or whatever.

i myself have a "Nick" projects folder for my personal work, and inside that i have other sub-catagories, and then inside those, i have my specific project folders.


nick

Awesome!
Thanks Strypes! Dmok! Nick!
I do keep my bigger projects in separate folders but when I started doing these 1-2 minute jobbers for myself I thought I'd try consolidating it.
now that I see how you guys organize ur stuff I have a nice organized idea in my head on what I want to do.

...each project should go in it's own folder with a hierarchy of asset folders inside. Not just for "bigger projects"...EVERY PROJECT.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.