Marius asks:

I’ve previously bought your complete workflow and recently the Field Guide (so much good information guys!!). But I have a question. In the folder structure section you usually create an Z_Version folder and Z_Transcription. What do you put in these folders and why is it a Z?

Let me begin by explaining the purpose of the version and transcription folders.

At MediaStorm, we transcribe every interview. It’s the only way to make sure that no good bite gets left behind. It’s almost impossible to connect responses from the first minute of an interview with those spoken at the end unless they’re written down.

So before we create a multi-camera sequence, we export an audio file of each interview for transcription.

These audio files are exported to the Z_Transcription folder and can be deleted at the end of production as they won’t be used directly in the final project.

The Z_Versions folder is used to store old copies of your Premiere Pro or Final Cut project files.

For example, Final Cut Pro starts to get sluggish if project files exceed 125 MB. In this case, it’s necessary to first make a copy of your FCP file. The copied project file should then be moved to Z_versions. Then, you can safely delete unused sequences from your main project file, knowing you have a backup.

Similarly, when Premiere Pro crashes, the program will attempt to rebuild your project. A new file is created in the process. Older copies should then be moved to Z_versions folder.

In either case, our workflow dictates that only one project file should exist in either the FCP or the Pr folder. That way, there’s no confusion as to which project file is the current one.

Finally, we add the Z prefix to both the versions and transcription folder names so that chronologically they remain at the bottom of the file structure, out of the way, as they are not frequently accessed.

For more information on our workflow, you can purchase the MediaStorm Post-Production Workflow here for $14.95. Purchase now and get a free copy of the Premiere Pro workflow when it is available later this year.