It’s the time of year for New Year’s resolutions, and for those of you who always mean to make and share pictures and video… but never quite get around to it… here are some quick tips to help you keep your media organized and sharable through the next year.

1. Always Have a Camera With You: The first step to preserving memories is having the ability to record them. Whether it’s the camera on your cell phone or a stand-alone camera or camcorder, be sure to keep it with you. You never know what you might see.

2. Get Organized: A little organization now will save you time and heartache later. Make a folder on your computer and call it something like “My Videos & Photos.” Then, make a folder within that folder and call it 2013. Be sure to store the photos and videos you make in their respective folders so that they’re easy to find. Remember to move the photos and videos you make with your phone, onto your computer. (You can even download helpful apps like Picbox to automate this process.) This not only frees up space on your phone, but it also helps you find your files when you need them.

3. It’s Okay to Be Selective: Not every photo or video is worth saving… especially if you’ve shot 200 photos of exactly the same thing. Weed out the under-exposed, out-of-focus, generally bad photos and videos that you know you’ll never use and keep only your favorites.

4. Back It Up: If you haven’t already done so, buy a reliable external hard drive and back up your computer on a regular basis. The more often you do this, the better. Be sure to store the hard drive in a safe place. Today’s hard drives are pretty affordable and you’ll thank yourself if something ever happens to your computer.

5. Share Many Small “Video Projects” (Not One Big One): The secret to making “sharable” photo and video projects is to keep them short and interesting. While it may seem like a good idea to turn your entire life’s worth of photos and videos into one giant “life-long movie,” no one (except the very polite) will sit through it if it’s more than three minutes long.

Think about your photos and videos as little “segments of your life” and edit them accordingly. A baby walks. A friend blows out the candles on the birthday cake. You go on a road trip. Each of these videos should be short, with several interesting pictures and videos edited into it.

6. Get Creative: Select a fitting musical score for your project and place your pictures and movies on top of it. WeVideo has some easy-to-apply themes that will add pre-selected music and effects to your video projects, or you can upload your own. Remember: Your final video project should be interesting and enjoyable to the people you’re sharing it with. Don’t be afraid to get creative.
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About WeVideo’s Quick Tips Series
The “WeVideo Quick Tips” series is written by the everyday filmmakers at WeVideo to help people make and share the special moments of their lives through great looking video. To start editing your videos, go to WeVideo.com.

(This content was originally posted at WeVideo.com.)