A video filename should answer four questions in one glance — what project, which version, which cut, final or not — and the pattern that does it is PROJECT_VvNN_Cut_Status, like NEWMESPOT_v03_169_APPROVED.mov. Names are not where dates, client notes, or cleverness go; they are the label a tired person reads at 6pm and trusts. Here is the pattern, the version rules that match how review tools track rounds, and the habits that make FINAL_v9 files impossible.
The four-slot pattern
PROJECT_VvNN_Cut_Status — each slot short, ordered most-important-first, underscore-separated:
- PROJECT — short, unambiguous, no clientname-campaignname-stuffing: NEWMESPOT, not NEWME_Spring_Spot_30s_Client_X_Final.
- VvNN — zero-padded version: v01, v02... v03 sorts after v02 everywhere; "3" sorts after "23".
- Cut — which deliverable: 169, 916, 11, PODCAST, TEASER.
- Status — the only two states that matter during production: WIP and APPROVED. A file is working, or it is the one that was signed off.
Version rules that actually hold
- The version number is the round number. When v02 comes back from the client review link, the notes get addressed and the next export is v03 — the number on the file matches the version in the review tool's stack, so "v03 comments" is one search, not an archaeology project. The versioning guide covers the stack side; naming is its file-system shadow.
- Never use FINAL in a filename. FINAL means "I believe this is done," which is a prediction, not a state. APPROVED is a state — someone signed off on it. If a file must be renamed after approval, that is exactly the moment APPROVED gets appended.
- One scheme per project, written down in the brief. The onboarding checklist includes naming conventions in the logistics phase for a reason: the scheme only works if everyone who exports uses it, including the motion designer's 9:16 renders.
- Dates go in metadata, not in names. A date in a filename answers the wrong question ("when was this touched?") and breaks sorting the moment timezones or backdated exports appear. If you must carry a date, put it last and ISO-format it — but versions already tell the story.
What never belongs in a filename
- Spaces and special characters. Underscores only; spaces break scripts, web uploads and other people's patience.
- Notes ("withnewmusic_try"). Notes live in the review thread where they can be resolved, not in a label nobody can trust.
- Vague identifiers ("edit2", "new", "latest"). Latest is a pointer, not a name — it lies the first time you make a newer one.
- Sensitive flags on shared files ("INTERNAL_ONLY_rough_watermarked") — if a file needs that label to be handled safely, controls belong on the link, not the filename (see review link security).
Solo vs team conventions
| Context | What the scheme must carry | Where it can relax |
|---|---|---|
| Solo freelancer | Version + status; you are also the project slot | Cut codes can be minimal if deliverables are few |
| Small team | Project + version + cut — multiple hands, one scheme in the brief | Format slot only if multiple codecs circulate |
| Multi-client studio | Full pattern + per-client project prefix discipline | Nothing relaxes; the scheme is onboarding material |
| Delivery to post/broadcast | Their spec overrides yours — ask for the delivery naming doc early | — |
How naming meets the review tool
Once cuts move through a review tool, names do less work: the version stack tracks rounds, comments attach to moments, fields carry metadata, and folder organization carries structure. That is the point — the scheme above is the bridge between your export dialog and the tool's stack, and the one rule that keeps the bridge intact is "the file's version number is the round's version number." Reviewers also see filenames on version rows, so a clean name is client-facing polish, not just internal hygiene. The proxy/codec suffix question (which resolution is this render?) stays answered the same way — explicit and short, the way proxy workflows label media on disk.
FAQ
Should video filenames contain dates or versions?
Versions. Dates answer "when was this file touched," which nobody asks; the version number answers "which round of feedback does this answer," which everyone asks. Zero-pad the version (v01, v02) so sorting stays honest past v10, and keep dates in file metadata where they belong.
How do I name video cutdowns and aspect variants?
The cut slot: the same project and version with a different cut code — NEWMESPOT_v03_169, NEWMESPOT_v03_916, NEWMESPOT_v03_11. Every variant of one round shares the version number, because they all answer the same round of notes; when only the vertical cut changes, it becomes v04 first, then all variants re-export.
What is wrong with FINAL in a filename?
FINAL is a prediction and it invites its own negation — hence the industry-famous FINAL_v2_FINAL_final_REV. Use WIP while working and APPROVED only when someone with authority has signed off; those are the two states that mean anything, and neither of them is a wish.
Do review tools care about filenames?
Less over time — versions, comments and metadata live in the tool — but reviewers still see names on version rows, so clean names remain client-facing. The one hard dependency worth keeping: make the file's version number match the review tool's version number, and round-by-round history stays searchable forever.