What do you archive ? (and when to let go!)

[Tim Kay]

So I have my old project from 3 years ago (rewards of failure, up on vimeo) and it's basically a done deal. Don't have really any more plans for it. Just checked my external drive and this project is taking up almost 500GB's!!!!

Since this was one of my earlier projects files are a mess, stuffs everywhere and probably in some cases, duplicates. I need to go through and clean up. But I don't know what to keep. Should I keep the timeline, how much of the actual footage?

 

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

I would say keep everything except duplicate material (that serves no purpose) on the drive.

Hard-drives are cheap and they are only getting cheaper. Just pucker up and buy a new one. Go from there.

If this project is really good or possibly worth something in the future, I'd say buy two new hard drives and use one to back it up!

After all your hard work and effort, why get cheap or conservative with archiving?!
:laugh:

 

[MattinSTL]

Agree 100%... I've dumped a lot of stuff I consider to be junk, but if there's a shred of value in something I save it.

500gb is huge for this approach, but I've been putting stuff on DVDs lately. Then just toss that project worth of DVDs into a zip-lock bag. If I don't need it or care about it in a few years I just toss the lot.

I've got a ridiculous amount of stuff saved... it's like once I got my first cam I began archiving my whole life (work and personal). To be honest... I'm getting sick of the accumulation. But I'd never toss a significant project... ever.

 

[Noel Evans]

Generally as a rule of thumb, my best shots get in the cut. I usually export that at full res and toss the rest. UNLESS, 1/ its a high cost shot, then Ill archive it all. 2/ I think it will be good for stock sometime (and isnt owned by the company that paid me to produce / shoot the piece.)