Storage Dilemma at Hangar

Elwood Folse | Hell Cat Productions | Week 7

Today, we ran into an unforeseen issue that every content creator dreads—data storage. When working on multiple projects, each spanning several hours, it doesn't matter how much storage your computer has—it will eventually fill up. This is exactly what happened to us today at Hell Cat Productions.

Our usual workflow consists of editing hours of footage, fine-tuning audio, and ensuring our projects meet the high-quality standards we strive for. However, today, instead of diving straight into editing, David, our trusty canine coworker Bowie, and I found ourselves in an unexpected battle against our Mac’s dwindling storage space.

After a few hours of work, we were forced to take a step back and address the issue. Cleaning up a Mac that’s overloaded with project files isn’t just about deleting a few unnecessary clips—it requires a strategy. If you ever run into a similar issue, here are some methods and tips to free up space on your Mac and keep your workflow running smoothly.

Tips for Freeing Up Storage on Your Mac

1. Use External Hard Drives or Cloud StorageInvest in an external SSD or HDD to offload large files. Cloud storage options like Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud can also help keep your Mac free from clutter.

2. Delete Old or Unused FilesRegularly go through your Downloads folder, old projects, and redundant files to clear out space. Be ruthless—if you don’t need it, delete it.

3. Optimize Storage Using macOS ToolsmacOS has built-in tools under Apple Menu > About This Mac > Storage > Manage that can help you optimize storage by removing clutter, storing files in iCloud, and emptying the trash automatically.

4. Clear Cache and Temporary FilesCached data and temporary files from apps and browsers can take up a surprising amount of space. Use tools like CleanMyMac or manually delete cache files from /Library/Caches/.

5. Uninstall Unnecessary AppsIf you have applications you rarely use, uninstall them. You can check your Applications folder and remove large programs that are eating up space.

6. Compress Large FilesIf you need to keep large files but don’t use them frequently, consider compressing them into ZIP archives to save space.

7. Empty the Trash RegularlyIt’s easy to forget, but files in the Trash still take up space until you empty it manually.

After hours of cleaning up our system, we finally freed up enough space to get back to editing. It’s a tedious process but an essential one for anyone working with large media files. If you’re a filmmaker, editor, or content creator, staying on top of storage management will save you a ton of headaches in the long run.