Thread by @shrutesnladders

THREAD: IMO most screenwriters don’t name their files in a useful or even consistent way. Weird considering how neurotic we are about screenplay format.

Good filenames can save you SO MUCH heartache, esp when you’re returning to old projects or sending stuff out.

My method:

NAME_PROJECT-PROJECT TYPE_DATE_VERSION

This is a contained, informative file naming convention that organizes your work for you.

I chose this particular order bc, when sorted alphabetically, I want my projects to self-organize by NAME, then PROJECT, then DATE, and then VERSION

So, for example, if I’m writing a new treatment for my TV pilot “Cool Name” the filename would be:

Shruti_Cool Name Pilot_200928_Treatment

Putting all this info in the filename saves clicks, and is clear to anyone you’re working with (even if THEY are disorganized!) Your reps won’t be searching timestamped emails to find your latest draft or (😱) accidentally sending out an old draft!

NAME and PROJECT are obvi, but I put the PROJECT TYPE in there too bc it helps me stay organized if I’m adapting my work. E.g., if I turned Cool Name into a feature, I would create

Shruti_Cool Name Feature_200928_Brainstorm

So my Cool Name pilot and feature won’t get mixed up

I also write the DATE with the year first so that projects self-organize according to the year, then the month, and then the day when sorted alphabetically. Otherwise, stuff you wrote in Jan 2020 will show up before a piece from Dec 2019, which is out of order. No bueno.

VERSION is also where I put any other pertinent details, since it doesn’t really affect sorting. Is this a very rough treatment? It might become _Treatment v6 ROUGH. Are revisions starred in this draft? _Draft v2 REVISIONS STARRED. This way anyone you share with knows.

Finally, I don’t rely on version numbers because they are vague and uninformative! If I did a complete rewrite of my Cool Name pilot treatment tomorrow, I might change the filename to Shruti_Cool Name Pilot_200929_Treatment v2, but for small changes, I just update the DATE.

Relying on the DATE to stay organized instead of the version number means you will never get, like, Draft v64 of a screenplay from me, which I think looks excessive. Instead, my reps know to send out the file with the most recent DATE on it!

BONUS: If you name your files this way, you don’t need as many folders since everything self-organizes and clumps together by NAME, then PROJECT, and then DATE. Saves you clicks! And, everything is super searchable. Wanna see everything you worked on in 2020? Just search “_20”

When this really saves my butt, however, is when I’m returning to an old project after some time and have NO IDEA what I worked on last. Was it the latest draft version or did I go back to my beat sheet and re-break my story? Who knows?

With this file naming convention, I can just search for my PROJECT and open the document with the most recent DATE in the filename, thereby picking up right where I left off. Boom. Really helps when you’re working on multiple projects simultaneously.

Hope this was helpful. My writers group thinks I’m, uh, special but it’s Virgo month so maybe The Internet will understand.