Reference
Where files live
Recordings, exports and the edit, on disk.
The recordings folder
Everything Prequel writes is under ~/Movies/Prequel. Show Recordings in Finder in the menu bar opens it.
The takes are in a hidden folder inside it, .recordings, one folder per take named by when it was made, for instance Prequel 2026-08-22 09-03-02.
Exports go wherever you point the save dialog. It opens on your Downloads folder the first time and remembers where you last saved.
Inside a take
| File | What it is |
|---|---|
screen.mp4 | The recorded screen. |
camera.mp4 | The camera, when it was on. |
camera-matte.mp4 | The person matte for removing the camera's background, on recent recordings. |
mic.m4a | Your microphone. |
system.m4a | The Mac's own sound. |
session.json | The manifest: what was recorded, when each track started, and every pointer position, click and keystroke span. |
project.json | The edit: layout, background, zooms, cuts and every other setting. |
transcript.json | The words, once transcribed. |
poster.jpg, filmstrip.jpg | Stills for the library grid. |
captions/ | Rendered caption images. |
cursor-*.png, background pictures, a logo | Copied in when chosen, so the folder has everything it needs. |
A folder is self-contained by design. Copy it to another Mac with Prequel installed and it opens and exports the same.
The edit never touches the video
project.json describes what to do with the tracks; the tracks are never rewritten. Deleting the edit puts a recording back to how it was captured.
Deleting
The bin in the editor, or Move to the Trash on a card in the library, moves the whole folder to the Trash. You can put it back from there.
Frequently asked questions
- Where does Prequel save recordings?
- Under Movies/Prequel in your home folder. The takes are in a hidden .recordings folder inside it, one folder per take.
- Can I move a recording to another Mac?
- Yes. A take's folder holds everything it needs, including copied backgrounds and pointer images, so it opens and exports the same on another Mac with Prequel installed.
- Where do exports go?
- Wherever you point the save dialog. It opens on Downloads the first time and remembers where you last saved.