Especially in a collaborative production setting, maintaining consistent file nomenclature often proves itself quite valuable. The system I’ve designed and detailed below is based on both my personal system as well as that of TMD Photo. I believe the final product maintains simplicity wherever possible while also encoding the most relevant information for use within our production pipeline. The system is comprised of two distinct parts:
- Video Clips (Raw // Out of Camera)
- Exports & Renders (Exported From NLE)
Video Clips
Exports & Renders
[YYMMDD]-[Project Code]-[Editor Surname] [Version][Format]
Version: A 2-3 character string identifier to allow for efficient version management within a project. The foremost indicates major status changes, while the latter indicates minor changes.
Xn —> The nth render of a clip or single shot that is not relevant to the project itself.
Pn —> The nth render of a project while it remains underway or in a Preview status.
Rn —> The nth render of a project that awaits or is undergoing revisions.
Format: A single-letter marker to distinguish the video file’s aspect ratio.
h —> Horizontal/Landscape
s —> Square
v —> Vertical/Portrait
Project Code: A 3-4 letter identifier based on the project name. Codes should not repeat, and repeating projects may append up to a 2-digit year and 2-digit month to distinguish project instances. Projects that require further delineation should be provided a unique Project Location Code.
AWMM → Arts What’s Michigan Reading
NEW3 → News Collab #3
END26 → Opinion Endorsement 2026
GBD26 → Giving Blueday 2026
Example Usages
260807-OE26-Krummel-R2v.mov
Revision Version 2 of 2026 Orientation Edition, Rendered Aug 7, 2026 by Evan Krummel in a vertical format.
260312-TOAA26-Sharma-P1h.mp4
First pre-revision version of 2026 Taste of Ann Arbor, Rendered March 12, 2026 by Samridhi Sharma in a horizontal format. (Pre-release in this case may imply it’s a partial export of just the first minute, for example)