What is best practise advice for file management

G'day

I am trying to get my head around the best way to manage files (AVCHD) in FCPX. This is currently what i do, but I am not sure if it the best way to do it.

1) Connect Sony NX30P Camera to computer
2) Open FCPX
3) Create new Library called Raw Media
4) Click Import and select files to import, creating events as required
5) Tick Copy files into "Raw Media"
6) Tick Transcode

Examining the resulting file structure shows me for example an original mts file under

Library "Raw Media" > Event Folder>Original Media> 00012.mts with a file size of 122.8 MB

and a Mov file under Raw Media>Transcoded Media>High Quality Media>00012.mov with a file size of 610.5MB

Some of the tutorials I have viewed as a new user, suggest I should also copy the original mts file to a separate drive for safe keeping.

But I use Carbon Copy clone and do nightly backups of my entire drives. So if I do keep the extra MTS file I would end up with

2 x 122.8 MB files (245.6)
1 x 610.5MB file

so from one file of 122.8MB I end up with 856MB of file.

It's not going to take long to fill my 3TB raid mirrored drive, and I am wondering if there is a more streamlined way or is in fact this the best way to safeguard important data.

Apreciate anyone else's views and experience on how they manage their files.

Oh and also how often should one delete render files which have blown my storage out of the water a couple of times already.

BUMP!

First, from a camera card, IF you have a solid reason to keep the original AVCHD file format, don't import into an Event. Make a "Camera Archive". You can then import your footage for use from there. And, you don't have to "copy" the media into an Event, leave it in place (in the Camera Archive).

Personally, I don't have use for my camera card formats. I edit ProRes 100%, and once I import my footage as Optimized, I have no use for the original H.264 files (Canon 7D). But, some folks have a need to keep them, and I recommend the Camera Archive, not optimizing if you don't have to.

It is a good idea to keep the working copy, the copy on your backup drive, and a third copy safe somewhere. That is in a prefect world. I don't have that type of drive space. I've always just kept my working drive, and my backup drive, and I'm fine. I highly doubt two RAIDs will go 100% down at the same time. Is it "possible"? Yes. But after over 2 decades as an enterprise level IT engineer, I've never seen it personally. It all depends on your personal choices and what makes you feel safe enough, and what your budget is.

How often should you delete render files? As often as you want. I'd LOVE to see someone write a simple utility that I can set to delete all FCPX render files, for either ALL Libraries, or specific Libraries, both with one command, and on an automated schedule. I'd love to have it delete all render files every night at 11pm.

Thanks Ben B

That process makes a lot more sense, and would save me lots of space as I am sure there are many clips I wouldn't use at all or only use a range of.

Thinking of your comment re render files, I wonder if a cron job would do it. Not sure of mac uses cron, I come from the Linux world to Mac, but I will do some research and see what I can find out. Watch this space

Mac is UNIX, 100%, so if you could write a script, and assign it as a Cron job, that would work. I'm hoping someone will make a friendly utility app that allows us to assign automated deletion of render files, and pruning of Library backups, some day.

Might take me a little while cos I am not very educated on script, but have written a few in the past. I shall be back!