Fast Forwarding Video Preservation and Digital Engagement
Lead Research Organisation:
University of East Anglia
Department Name: Art, Media and American Studies
Abstract
The aim of this project is to utilise the video digitisation suites that the East Anglian Film Archive (EAFA) acquired in our previous Capability for Collections grant (AH/V011952/1) to actively engage new and, particularly, youth audiences in collections-based research and digital engagement. These activities will make use of and preserve valuable, under-studied and at-risk parts of our collections that are of local, national and international significance. We will achieve the engagement strategies through partnership with the BBC who will collaborate on the selection of content and the digital outputs, and make use of the generated digital content for their 'BBC at 100' celebrations (2022).
EAFA's extensive collections of film, video and born-digital content, covering the 1890s to the present, are a valuable resource for academics and educators working across a range of disciplines. EAFA is a thriving research centre, collaborating on a range of funded research projects and educational initiatives. These projects reflect the strengths of our collections in amateur filmmaking and regional television (BBC East / ITV-Anglia), but also EAFA's cutting-edge digital expertise and infrastructure. In 2020, EAFA was successful in securing funding for seven video digitisation kits from Capability for Collections. This consisted of:
- 7 x FSI DM240 (professional 'reference' video monitor with waveform displays, legal levels and vectorscopes)
- 7 x HP EliteDesk PC's
The new equipment, in combination with Leitch Timebase Correctors, Vrecord (open source video digitisation software) and Blackmagic video capture cards make up seven video digitisation workstations that can digitise a wide range of formats and are able to be operated by student volunteers (following a short training programme).
The BBC collection includes a number of 'at-risk' video formats as well as film titles. EAFA's proposal is that the archive will digitise a range of BBC videos and films alongside selections from other valuable EAFA collections to meet the objectives of the research and engagement strategies. This grant will fund digitisation of approximately 550+ hours of video and film content. Some of this will be undertaken by the technical team in EAFA but we will also train a small group of UEA students to: digitise BBC and other EAFA tapes; to catalogue the material; to assist in selecting material for EAFA's annual Mash up filmmaking competition; and curating a selection of BBC content online and programmed at a live event. The material will also be viewed and interacted with by the public as part of the BBC's 100th Anniversary, within their flagship 'Story of Us' online platform.
The qualitative and quantitative research undertaken at the end of the project with the archive volunteers and Mash Up competition entrants will be used to produce an open-access report aimed at key stakeholder organisations we consulted (BBC, BFI, National Lottery Heritage Fund, INTO Film) and the wider heritage / screen education sectors. This will address their desires to understand the values and impacts of digitisation training, online curation and creative reuse projects for engaging youth audiences and developing their future skills.
EAFA's extensive collections of film, video and born-digital content, covering the 1890s to the present, are a valuable resource for academics and educators working across a range of disciplines. EAFA is a thriving research centre, collaborating on a range of funded research projects and educational initiatives. These projects reflect the strengths of our collections in amateur filmmaking and regional television (BBC East / ITV-Anglia), but also EAFA's cutting-edge digital expertise and infrastructure. In 2020, EAFA was successful in securing funding for seven video digitisation kits from Capability for Collections. This consisted of:
- 7 x FSI DM240 (professional 'reference' video monitor with waveform displays, legal levels and vectorscopes)
- 7 x HP EliteDesk PC's
The new equipment, in combination with Leitch Timebase Correctors, Vrecord (open source video digitisation software) and Blackmagic video capture cards make up seven video digitisation workstations that can digitise a wide range of formats and are able to be operated by student volunteers (following a short training programme).
The BBC collection includes a number of 'at-risk' video formats as well as film titles. EAFA's proposal is that the archive will digitise a range of BBC videos and films alongside selections from other valuable EAFA collections to meet the objectives of the research and engagement strategies. This grant will fund digitisation of approximately 550+ hours of video and film content. Some of this will be undertaken by the technical team in EAFA but we will also train a small group of UEA students to: digitise BBC and other EAFA tapes; to catalogue the material; to assist in selecting material for EAFA's annual Mash up filmmaking competition; and curating a selection of BBC content online and programmed at a live event. The material will also be viewed and interacted with by the public as part of the BBC's 100th Anniversary, within their flagship 'Story of Us' online platform.
The qualitative and quantitative research undertaken at the end of the project with the archive volunteers and Mash Up competition entrants will be used to produce an open-access report aimed at key stakeholder organisations we consulted (BBC, BFI, National Lottery Heritage Fund, INTO Film) and the wider heritage / screen education sectors. This will address their desires to understand the values and impacts of digitisation training, online curation and creative reuse projects for engaging youth audiences and developing their future skills.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Tim Snelson (Principal Investigator) |
| Description | I conducted qualitative / quantitative research with the archive volunteers on value of such projects. Key findings: whilst most had been in archive most never worked or volunteered in one; felt gave them new understanding and appreciation of practices, processes, care, skill, and size of task; in terms of identity and inclusivity, volunteers appreciated being with 'my sort of people'; and developed or consolidated very strong feeling that would like to work in the heritage sector now. In terms of engaging young people with heritage assets, project gave them feeling had contributed to world in tangible and positive way; new appreciation of amateur film and importance of preserving it. Also role in developing future skills (digital knowledge, technical skills etc); almost all felt had developed new skills (digitisation particularly) and 100% praised the excellent training I also conducted qualitative / quantitative research with the Mash Up entrants about value of creative reuse projects using archive film. Key findings: in terms of access, competition fed an established interest in archive film and/or filmmaking; whilst all accessed digitised archive films before but only 1 in 6 had used in filmmaking before. In terms of identity and inclusivity, 100% said mash up allowed them to express feelings on climate change / enhanced historical understanding. In terms of engaging young people with heritage assets: enhanced appreciation of value archive film and inspired interest to work in an archive in almost all. In terms of developing future skills (digital knowledge, technical skills etc), most made films before, but half still felt developed a new skill (creative reuse; sound design) |
| Exploitation Route | Has influenced practices within The East Anglian Film Archive (in terms of use of volunteers and shaping of creative use projects base on above findings) so this could help shape wider archive practice and policy more broadly |
| Sectors | Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
| URL | https://eafa.org.uk/highlight/bbc-archive-stories/ |
| Description | Has influenced practices within The East Anglian Film Archive (in terms of use of volunteers and shaping of creative use projects base on findings) and this could help shape wider archive practice and policy within sector. Findings based on small qualitative / quantitative research show positive influence on archive volunteers in regard to career development, future skills development, and wider engagement, understanding and appreciation of of archive / heritage practice. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2023 |
| Sector | Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | Preserving and presenting BBC archival content for BBC at 100 |
| Organisation | British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) |
| Department | BBC Information and Archives |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | - Digitsied films form BBC East Collection for preservation purposes - Provided content for BBC Rewind platform (for BBC Centenary) - Curatorial expertise in identifying content for BBC Centenary - Feedback to BBC regarding value of creative reuse / youth engagement projects |
| Collaborator Contribution | - Staff support with additional knowledge and research about the holdings to help make an informed decision about the best selections for digitisation and creation of metadata. - Allowing selections of content to be made available to EAFA's Mash Up filmmaking competition and content wapproved subject to editorial and rights checks. - In-kind licensing of content for proposed non-commercial engagement activities eg screenings - Allowing a small selection (exact numbers TBD) of digitised films to be made available on a curated highlights page on www.eafa.org.uk free of license fee |
| Impact | Digitisation of BBC films and videos (see main form) |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Event: BBC Archive Stories - 'Climate Emergency', Saturday 25th March 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Screening of archive footage selected, digitised and remixed by local young people and filmmakers. It features creative responses to the theme of 'Climate Emergency' entered to the latest Mash-Up Filmmaking Competition, alongside exclusive BBC footage selected by UEA students as part of the Fast Forwarding Video Preservation project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://eafa.org.uk/bbc-archive-stories-climate-emergency/ |
| Description | Mash Up filmmaking competition 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Creative reuse competition with 40 entrants form under 18 and over 18 categories. As some worked in groups, resulted in 29 new mash up films based on theme of 'Climate Crisis' . These subsequnetly screened at public events and curated online |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://eafa.org.uk/mashup-filmmaking-competition/ |
| Description | Shorts - The East Anglian Collection at the Norwich Film Festival |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Special screening and awards fore winners of the Mash Up competition which was key engagement activity of project |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://eafa.org.uk/mashup-filmmaking-competition/ |