Previous: Asset Management 101 – Ten Essential Rules of File Naming - 10 Include Extra Data
Asset Management 101
Ten Rules To File By
So about now you're wondering if you want to modify your naming conventions or not. Doing so can be a big undertaking, involving sometimes getting the consensus of other supervisors and producers. It should certainly be initiated only for new projects, and you'll need to prepare a good document explaining what the changes are, why they are important and possibly how the system will be implemented.When implementing the system, you'll need to consider how you will train your staff. A memo is fine, but better is a briefing paper or possibly a slide show illustrating how the new system works. You may find it necessary to explain to the staff why the changes are important and how it will make things more secure and improve everyone's understanding of file status and relationsips and revision level. You need to explain the new system because people tend to resist and question change; explaining it to people is a show of respect.
Mostly, you'll need to get your intermediate supervisors and coordinators fully committed to the changes and get them to understand it is part of their job description to knoow and enforce naming conventions.
A final thing to consider is automation. For one company, I made a spreadsheet in Open Office. Artists in each work unit can fill in the information for their shot and get back a properly formatted name for their scripts and renders. Similar utilities can be developed in MEL, Python or Javascript for users. In NUKE a gizmo could be put together. Remember, artists are busy and will ignore or make mistakes in file naming just because they are rushing or tired. Make it easy for them.
Here's an outline of this series
10 Rules To File By
1.Let it Speak (Make it meaningful)
2.Make it Short
3.Keep it Simple
4.Avoid Special Characters and Control PunctuationUse command-line compatible punctuationAvoid SpacesTwo periods maximumThe hypen – if you dareUse postScript NotationSpecial Emphasis
5.Protect Sort OrderMaintain ChronologyVariations and Passes after take or version
6.Rendered Files Must Refer to Their Script
7.There can be only ONE revision 1Call Composited Shots "takes"Put Modifiers After Revision NumberTie Render Passes To A RevisionUse Takes and Versions TogetherMake sure your revision modifier policy is understoodUse Codes and Punctuation Sparingly
8.Abbreviate ConsistentlyAbbreviationsCodesConsistencyLegibility
9.Use Project IdentifiersSeparate internal or external workClient company and sometimes division or departmentProject: film, show, series, campaign,Sub-project: TV episode, spot or reel number.
10.Include extra dataArtist NamesVariation vs Option DescriptionsRights Managed FilesCamera Angle
4 comments:
Ideally, it would be desirable to achieve consensus on folder and file naming conventions within a team or department; however, this may not always be possible because each participant may believe their ideas are the best.
Alex Frisch
Ideally consensus will be achieved among team leadership. Needs of each department, if left unmet, will devolve into a chaos of ad-hoc solutions. Often, people become dogmatic about the filing system they champion, and become inflexible. What works best in a visual effects pipeline will usually not fit the needs of a design studio, game producer, or motion graphics pipeline. My goal in this series is to present general guidelines for supervisors to consider.
Consensus is desirable. Ultimately someone needs to make a decision and implement it. That decision needs to be made in a timely manner. Delay can mean costly confusion and retooling.
Consistency in the use of naming conventions for Web files and directories is both a matter of best practices and improving ease of navigation. With the anticipated implementation of an enterprisewide content management system, adoption and strict use of University file-naming conventions is essential.
Alex Frisch
Really, it's a very good work. It was very useful for me. Keep sharing such ideas in the future as well. This was actually what I was looking for, and I am glad to came here! Thanks for sharing the such information with us
Connie Jordan-Carmichael | Ubiquity Broadcasting Corporation
Post a Comment