A folder structure earns its keep when someone else can open the project without a guided tour. This is a starting checklist for a small film or video project; adapt it to the team and the job.
1. Give the project one home
Use a clear project name and date. Inside it, separate admin, camera originals, production audio, project files, graphics, exports and delivery. Keep camera-card folder structures intact when copying original media.
2. Separate originals from working files
Treat camera originals and location audio as source material. Put proxies, caches and generated media in their own working folders so they can be managed without confusing them with the originals.
3. Make versions readable
Use names that explain the sequence, date and version: Project_Sequence_2026-10-14_v03. Avoid a chain of files called final, final-new and final-really-final. Put approved delivery exports in a separate folder.
4. Write the handoff note
- Which project file should be opened?
- What application and version were used?
- Where is the media, and does anything need relinking?
- Are any fonts, plugins or licences required?
- Which export was approved, and by whom?
5. Test it before calling it done
Open a copy from the intended handoff location. Check that the project loads, audio plays and the expected media is present. A tidy folder is useful; a verified handoff is better.
Working-note prompt: After the next project, record what was hard to find and change the template accordingly.