Preserving Moving Images of the Past, Keeping up with the Future
What does moving image preservation entail? Does it relate only to film? What archival processes take place to ensure access to films, videos, and images of the past? How will the images we produce now be preserved for the future? How do we deal with obsolescence and the rapid decay of analog formats while keeping up with the fast pace of technology in a world dominated by screens, the continuous emergence of new technologies, and the endless flux of data? Even digital production is very vulnerable!
This presentation covers the basic components of the processes of archiving and preserving moving images and the handling of digital formats. It also addresses the field’s professionalization by addressing some of the specialized knowledge required around formats, carriers, equipment, and software, underscoring how global economic inequalities impact solutions for materials ranging from home movies to mainstream productions, as well as the urgency associated with saving images and information.
Participants will have the opportunity to experiment with basic film repairs.
The program will be presented by archivists from NYU’s Moving Image Archiving and Preservation (MIAP) department, which trains future professionals to manage and preserve collections of film, video, digital, and multimedia works. MIAP is situated within New York University’s Department of Cinema Studies, part of the Kanbar Institute of Film & Television in the acclaimed Tisch School of the Arts.
Image source: @NYU MIAP APEX, Cinemateca Nacional, Ecuador 2023
