Every show gets its own crew

One project, one production

A project is a container for everything related to a single production or shoot. Inside a project, you have:

• Assets: All photos, organized however you like
• Folders: Your directory structure for the project
• Collections: Curated groups of assets for specific purposes
• Team members: People assigned to this project with specific permissions
• Approvals: Access codes for talent review
• Exports: Packaged downloads for distribution
• Activity log: A record of uploads, downloads, approvals and permission changes

Each project is isolated. Assets in one project don't show up in another. Members see only the projects they are added to; organization owners see every project. Productions have different security requirements, different teams, and different timelines. Mixing them creates risk.

Creating a project

Starting a project:

1. Click "Create Project" from the dashboard or projects page
2. Enter a name and optional description, and add people
3. Start uploading.

You can configure additional settings after creation:

• Default metadata template: Set in project settings. Pre-fills IPTC values when the team uploads
• Project description: Help team members understand the scope

These settings are optional. Most people create the project, add their team, and start uploading.

Adding team members to projects

Once your project exists, you add people from your organization's member list:

1. Open project settings
2. Go to the Members section
3. Select organization members to add
4. Choose their permission level (or apply a template)

Team members receive access immediately. They are already part of your organization, so you are only choosing which projects they can see.

Permission templates

Instead of setting granular permissions one by one for each person, start with a template:

• Viewer: View only, no download
• Contributor: Create and edit content, manage folders
• Manager: Full project management

Your organization can save its own templates too. Customize from there if someone needs a non-standard access level. A publicist might need viewer access plus distribution permissions, for example.

Managing the project lifecycle

Productions don't last forever. ReelStorage supports the full lifecycle:

Active

This is the default state. Team members can upload, organize, review, and distribute. The project appears on the dashboard and in the project list.

Archived

When a production wraps, archive the project. The project goes read-only: all data stays intact, and team members who could view and download before still can. They can't upload new assets or make changes. Archived projects stay in the list under the Archived filter.

Archiving is the right choice for completed productions that you might reference later. Need a still for an anniversary retrospective? Open the project and download it.

Scheduled for deletion

If you truly don't need a project anymore, schedule it for deletion. There's a 7-day grace period before the data is permanently removed, giving you a window to change your mind. Deletion is irreversible after the grace period expires.

Project isolation in practice

You're a production company running three shows. Show A is a drama with strict NDA requirements. Show B is a reality series with fast turnaround. Show C is in pre-production and hasn't announced casting yet.

With projects, access follows the project. Each show has its own team roster. A stills photographer on Show A sees Show A only. The publicist on Show B sees only Show B assets. The executive producer who works across all three can be added to all three projects with appropriate permissions on each.

Project settings

Each project has its own settings page where you can:

• Update the name and description as the production evolves
• Manage members by adding, removing, or updating permissions
• Set a default metadata template for consistent IPTC tagging
• Archive or delete the project when it's complete

Permission changes are recorded in the audit log.