FILM ARCHIVIST… (In the Entertainment industry. What does a film archivist do?)

Film archives antique cans / Photo Credit Urbanski Film

FILM ARCHIVIST… (In the Entertainment industry. What does a film archivist do?)

Bruce Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.

What does a Film Archivist do?

In over a century of filmmaking, there have been thousands upon thousands of scenes put to film. To preserve this long and rich cinematic history, film archivists are on the job. A lot like a movie librarian, a film archivist makes sure that films are preserved for future generations to enjoy or, in the case of bad films, to wonder what the filmmaker and audiences of the time were thinking.

Film decays at a rapid pace. In fact, most of the silent films made in the 1920s have already decomposed to the point of no return. A film archivist is responsible for collecting, preserving, organizing, and displaying old footage, usually for a museum, library, educational institution, or historical site.

As a film archivist, you get to watch hours and hours of video and decide what to do with it. Your job involves editing films to pull out the most important footage, describing scenes with historical significance, and cataloging clips so that researchers and the public can access them as needed.

You may also get the chance to create an exhibit or collection featuring footage around a certain theme. By using your creativity and doing all the proper research, you boil down all those hours of recordings into a format that the public will be able to understand in a matter of minutes.

Your hard work makes the medium of film a useful and accessible resource for understanding history, improving education, and preserving culture.

Duties

The main duties of a film archivist are simple: to organize and preserve an archive of collected films. The archive is often not film alone, but a collection of film reels, videotapes, DVDs, CDs, and other forms of digitally transferred films; an archive can also include items such as scripts, production schedules, still pictures, and any other movie-related media. The film archivist arranges and collates the collection that makes it an easy-to-use reference source for film historians, writers, or students. Film archivists spend a great deal of time cataloging materials as they come in, digitizing fragile materials, and researching new information and materials, as well as assisting those that wish to access the archive. In addition to possessing organizational and research skills, film archivists must be good communicators, as they will spend a great deal of time directing people through the resources and searching for new items to include.

Skills & Education

The nature of the work a film archivist performs is similar to that of a librarian, and as such requires many of the same skills and education. Undergraduate degrees in history, English, or humanities are commonly held by film archivists, followed by graduate degrees in archiving, library science, or similar areas of study. Not only history, but also preservation techniques are vital to the toolbox of a film archivist, as many old films (and related memorabilia such as scripts) are literally crumbling from age. Obviously, film archivists need to be extremely well-organized and have a passion for making sure everything is in its right place. As digitizing has become extremely important to film preservation, a good archivist must be familiar with those programs and processes, as well as comfortable with document storage cabinets and filing systems, microfilm scanners, video technology, and database or file-management systems.

What to Expect

Film archivists are the librarians of the cinematic world, and should expect their career to have many of the same attributes. Unlike many jobs in the film world, the hours and work environment are stable; you can expect a 9-to-5 lifestyle. The nature of the archive can vary greatly in size and scope, and film archivists can work for large film studios, universities, or private individuals and foundations. While film archivists may romanticize about unearthing that lost gem of the cinematic past, the reality is much closer to hours upon hours in front of a computer screen researching, days spent cataloging mundane clips, assisting people with their reference searches, and reshelving. However, a passion for sharing those rare gems with others, and saving them from the scrap heap of history, will enliven what others may see as a dull job.

What does an Archive Trainee do?

An Archive Trainee is an entry level position for someone looking to become a media archivist. It comes with a lot of the responsibilities of a media archivist, but allows tutorship and guidance, as well as access to specialist legacy hardware.

With the world slowly becoming more digital, a lot of companies find themselves with archives of difficult to store film reels and video tapes that are becoming obsolete. An Archivist is responsible for maintaining these tapes and converting them into a digital medium to make them easier to access in the future. They will also handle requests from people in the company for specific clips, and need to have a very quick but thorough method to deliver it. For example, an Archive Trainee may need to find a clip of a politician from the 1980s for a news story running that night.

They will need to assist in creating and maintaining records and databases of all the media in the archive. They may also be required to watch through and enter metadata to make it easier to find a resource later on. 

• Filing and storing media…
• Converting damaged and legacy media into a digital format…
• Using archive footage to contribute creatively to new works…
• Maintaining a database of media locations within the archive…
• Have a passion for media and film, and the preservation of it…
• Understand the importance of clear metadata…
• Learn the workings of legacy hardware, such as Steenbeck flatbed film editing suites…
• Understand different media formats, and how to convert between them…
• Become very familiar with the archive storage facility and how to navigate it…
• Have excellent communication skills…
• Be very well organized…
• Have good attention to detail…
• Be good at working within a team…
• Have good it skills…
• Understand the relevant health and safety laws and procedures… 

Most might find this kind of job boring or a dead end. In reality it is an eye opening experience in to the world human reality, make believe, an never ending adventure into the realm of creativity and imagination.

Sources, References & Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Wikihow, Pinterest, IMDB, Linked In, Indie Wire, Film Making Stuff, Hiive, Film Daily, New York Film Academy, The Balance, The Numbers, Film Maker, TV Guide Magazine, Media Match, Quora, Creative Skill Set, Investopedia, Variety, No Film School, Daily Variety, The Film Agency, Best Sample Resume, How Stuff Works, Camerapedia, Career Trend, Producer's Code of Credits, Producers Guild of America, Film Connection, Entertainment Careers, Adhere Creative, In Deed, Glass Door, Pay Scale, Merriam-Webster, Job Monkey, Studio Binder, The Collective, Production Hub, The Producer's Business Handbook by John J. Lee Jr., "PH22.36-1954, American Standard, Dimensions for 35 mm Motion-Picture Positive Raw Stock",  American Cinematographer, American Widescreen Museum, Fujifilm Motion Picture Films, Kodak: Cinematography, Paul C. Spehr, Get In Media,

THIS ARTICLE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THE INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND BRUCE BISBEY MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILITY, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, REGARDING THIS INFORMATION. BRUCE BISBEY DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE COMPLETENESS, ACCURACY OR TIMELINESS OF THIS INFORMATION. YOUR USE OF THIS INFORMATION IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND RISK OF LOSS RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THIS INFORMATION. BRUCE BISBEY WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, WHETHER IN AN ACTION BASED UPON A STATUTE, CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE, RELATING TO THE USE OF THIS INFORMATION.