File management and storage infrastructure is one of those things that nobody thinks about until something breaks. The thing is, when it breaks, it's usually catastrophic. Lost footage, corrupted projects, or that nightmare scenario where you need a file from six months ago and have no idea where it is.
Organization only makes sense if you understand it. You can follow all the "best practices" you want, but if your system doesn't match how you actually work, it's useless.
That said, here's what I've found works for me.