How to Organize Your Vlog Footage Like Nathaniel Drew and Matt Davella

If you are a vlogger, you know how important it is to keep your footage organized and easy to access. 

You don't want to waste time looking for that perfect shot or audio clip when you are editing your videos.

You also want to avoid losing or deleting any valuable files by mistake.

But how do you organize your vlog footage like a pro?

Well, you can learn from some of the best vloggers out there, like Nathaniel Drew or Matt D'Avella.

They have a simple and effective system that helps them manage their footage and streamline their workflow.

Here's how they do it:

1. First, they record b-roll footage throughout the day.
   • B-roll is the extra footage that adds context and visual interest to your main story. For example, shots of the environment, people, objects, etc. B-roll can make your vlogs more engaging and dynamic.
2. Then, at night, they sit down at their computer and transfer their footage from their camera or phone to their PC.
   • They use a card reader or a USB cable for this step.
3. Next, they create a folder with the timestamp of the day they recorded the footage.
   • For example, 2021-11-11. This way, they can easily find and sort their footage by date.
4. After that, they name and tag their files according to what they contain.
   • For example, intro.mp4, interview.wav, drone.mov, etc. This helps them identify and categorize their files by type and content.
5. Finally, they edit their videos using their favorite software.
   • They import their footage from the timestamped folder and drag and drop them into the timeline. They can also add transitions, effects, music, titles, etc. 

This is the system that Nathaniel Drew and Matt D'Avella use to organize their vlog footage.

I tried this system myself while making this video and I found it very helpful and efficient. However, I also encountered a mental barrier while following this system.

I felt like transferring and sorting my footage every night was too tedious and time-consuming. It felt like homework that I had to do before going to bed.

So I decided to switch the system a bit and make it more automated and convenient for me.

Here's what I did:

1. Instead of creating timestamped folders manually every night, I wrote a batch script that does it for me automatically every day.
   • A batch script is a file that contains a series of commands that can be executed by the Windows command prompt.
2. Now every day at the specified time, Windows Task Scheduler runs the batch script and creates a timestamped folder with subfolders for video, audio and photos on my desktop.
   • All I have to do is transfer my footage from my camera or phone to the corresponding subfolders and I'm done. 

This is how I modified the system to organize my vlog footage like a pro. I found this method more convenient and less stressful for me. It also saves me some time and extra steps.

Of course, you can tweak the system to suit your own preferences and needs. You can change the folder names, the subfolder names, the script commands, the task settings, etc.

The important thing is to find a system that works for you and stick to it.

I hope you found this blog post useful and informative. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. And if you liked this post, please share it with your friends and fellow vloggers.

Happy vlogging!