Production : File Organization

This blog post, written by me (Beatrice), details how I organize my files to keep them structured and easy to access, ensuring everything remains neat and manageable.

Google Document

At the start of this project, Rachelle suggested creating a shared Google Document so we could compile all our work in one place, keeping everything organized and easy to find. This also made it more convenient to transfer each other's work into our own blogs. Additionally, it allowed us to make updates or revisions in real-time, ensuring immediate access to the latest versions. As the project progressed, we relied on the Google Doc more frequently. Therefore, to improve usability, I (Beatrice) decided to use Google Docs' new tab and sub-tab feature to organize our work into sections. This made it easier to locate specific content without having to scroll through a single, lengthy document. Furthermore, it allows us to monitor our progress and workflow, making it easier to provide feedback to each other when we identify areas that need improvement.

WhatsApp

One of the most important aspects of a group project is communication. To facilitate this, we created a group chat on WhatsApp, which allows us to discuss and share ideas about our project, remind each other of deadlines and filming details, and coordinate other project-related matters efficiently.

Google Drive

Since searching for project materials can be difficult without a structured system, I decided to create a main folder in Google Drive and organize it into multiple subfolders (as shown in the image below). This method is both practical and time-efficient, as it allows me to quickly locate specific files and focus more on the work itself rather than wasting time searching for it. Additionally, similar to the Google Document, it helps me categorize different aspects of the project, avoiding the need to scroll through one long, cluttered folder.

Gallery

In my phone gallery, I created a dedicated photo album for my projects, which I have been using since AS Level. Instead of creating a separate album for A Level, I chose to combine both, as it primarily contains project-related screenshots, notes, progress updates, and classwork. Therefore, I don’t find it necessary to create a new album since the key aspects of the project are already stored in my Google Drive. However, it remains useful for quickly referring back to notes or references whenever needed.

Reflection : I find these organizational methods extremely useful, as they have significantly helped me locate files quickly throughout the project. Initially, I didn’t notice any disadvantages, but one potential disadvantage is that if the Google Drive folder or Google Document were to be deleted, all the stored work would be lost, making it time-consuming to recover or recreate everything. However, I believe the advantages far outweigh this risk. Moving forward, I will continue using these organization strategies for future projects, both within media studies and in other areas of my work.