We all love that feeling of crossing off items on a to-do list. I mean, who hasn’t at some point added “create to-do list” just to have something to cross off and get instant gratification. And then which one of us hasn’t lost that tiny piece of paper with the to-do list and you’re stuck frantically trying to recreate what was on that list.
To-Do lists and Video Production
When it comes to video production to-do lists are essential. Here at Demo Duck we use several different apps to keep us on track during the lifecycle of creating landing page videos. We have a chance to cross off things like:
- Script
- Storyboard
- Illustration
- Animation
- Voiceover
- Music
And since the lists are collaborative everyone involved in the project can see exactly where we are in the project including the:
- Animators
- Voiceover talent
- Illustrators
- Script Writers
See an example of our animation to-do list in Basecamp below.
Tools
Now there are a myriad of tools out there that help keep our lists organized, avoid the sticky note covered monitor and have access to the lists no matter where we are. And we can even share our lists with others and have the app update real time when an item gets done.
Here is a Top 17 list of apps to help keep your life organized. Simple lists to fully integrated systems that combine documents and pictures, free versions to paid premium subscriptions and apps for your business, personal, artistic and motivational endeavors.
1. Asana is great for collaborative environments because you can assign tasks and people can even hand off tasks if their workload is too large. You can see what your fellow collaborators are up to and know that all tasks are being worked on when needed.
2. For more than just a to-do list Basecamp gives you the ability to manage projects at every level and it includes discussions, a place to put files, assign tasks and also an individual to-do list for each project.
3. Intuitive color coding make it easy to see why Clear is so popular. Assign importance to your task and the list shows a heatmap of what needs to get done most. It’s hard to ignore that burning red task sitting at the top. The interface is no frills using just gestures to move and create tasks. Clear is only for Mac products but an Android version has been made by Koalcat.
4. From the makers of Salesforce comes Do. A fully integrated task list that lets your collaborators confirm if they can do the assigned task or not. Templates are available to streamline projects that you use over and over again. It’s geared for the business user and easy to share with clients.
5. The ultimate in simplicity Do It Tomorrow has two lists: today and tomorrow. If you don’t get it done today, you can easily push it off until tomorrow. Very much like what happens in real life, only this app doesn’t make you feel guilty about it.
6. Way more than just a to-do list Evernote lets you save pictures, webpages, audio, notes and more all in one place and accessible anywhere. Include to-do lists in your Evernote pages or also tie your it to other apps like Remember the Milk.
7. Fetch Notes utilizes texting and standard app features in its program. Rather than needing to scroll through your lists to find the one you want you can just send a text to pull up the list you need. And to make an item for a list simply use a hashtag to identify which list you want to put it in.
8. For Google diehards is Google Tasks. It is already built into your gmail account, Google calendar and on your android device making it easy to use. Change a task in one place and it updates to all your Google apps where applicable.
9. Still in beta, Handle is designed to create your lists of things to do directly from your email inbox. Use hotkeys to move your mail and add tasks to your must, should or want to-do lists. Then, at all times, find what is most important to do.
10. Orchestra has voice recognition built right in so there’s no need to slowly type your tasks when you’re in a hurry. It integrates with email and even has a sister Mailbox app to help keep your email organized. It’s currently only available for iPhone and your browser but Android and iPad apps are on the agenda.
11. Remember the Milk is one of the older and well known apps in this field and is easy to integrate with other apps such as Evernote, Siri and Google and even lets you write applications that interact with it. Arrange via color coded levels of priority and keep things simple.
12. Airtable gives you the ability to create your own databases and adapt them to your specific needs. It can be used to manage projects, organize customer relationships, catalog inventory, or make reusable checklists. All this with a fast, flexible, spreadsheet-like interface that’s completely intuitive to use.
13. With color coding and offline and mobile support todoist is a fun app that helps you feel good about getting things done. Todoist tracks your Karma points, adding or subtracting whether you complete a task on time or not. If that’s not motivation I don’t know what is!
14. With lots of customizable features Toodledo will go a step beyond your task list. It has a built in time tracker and will also make suggestions of things for you to do if you only have a limited amount of time. Combine this with stats and the usual multi-platform functionality and you’re well on your way to crossing tasks off.
15. Trellois a fairly simple collaborative to do list that lets you not only keep track of what to do, what you’re doing and what is done but you can also add pictures and documents to the lists. The computer/mobile app is free or you can pay for business class and add more integration and administrative control.
16. WorkFlowy is great for letting you brainstorm ideas and lets you do lists inside of lists (for the ultimate list enthusiasts)! It’s a simple no frills app based on a text editor so you see your lists without getting distracted by any bells and whistles. It’s best used on your browser but you can also access it on iOS and Android.
17. Add your own backgrounds and make Wunderlist your own with this app designed for ease and beauty. You can create recurring tasks and choose how you get notified on your myriad of electronic devices.
Conclusion
There are so many different apps you almost have to make a list of all the features. Find one (or several) that fit what you want and how much complexity you want to get into. Now, excuse me as I make one giant checkmark on my done list.