Services
The Moving Image and Sound Labs provide various services to offices across the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and participate widely in the broader professional community. Examples of internal and external services provided by the Audio-Video Preservation Lab and the Motion Picture Preservation Lab include:
- consulting with internal customers on appropriate products for specific purposes
- providing advice on risk assessment and priority setting
- working on standards committees
- conducting training and other educational outreach
A more complete breakdown of services is provided below.
Consultation with NARA Stakeholders
General
- Provide advice on long-term preservation planning options and actions
- Provide technical guidance for digitization activities
- Provide advice on vendor contracts for work that cannot be accomplished more successfully in-house
- Provide advice on digital product deliverables in vendor or partner contracts
- Complete on-site visits to vendors and partners to review availability and condition of proposed transfer equipment
Audio
- Selection of appropriate digital audio products for specific purposes
- Serve as subject matter experts in analog and digital audio preservation
Motion Picture
- Technical identification and assessment of best optical qualities and/or most original film elements to retain for preservation and distribution
- Serve as subject matter experts in photochemical motion picture film preservation as well as format specific history and technology
- Serve as subject matter experts in digital motion picture preservation issues
Video
- Serve as subject matter experts in digital moving image preservation issues
- Serve as subject matter experts in analog and digital video preservation
Risk Assessment
General
- Physical condition assessment
- Assist in setting priorities for yearly work plan and ongoing lab workflow
Audio
- Physical condition assessment including triage work determining potential issues with playback
Motion Picture
- Physical condition assessment of collections including A-D Strip testing for vinegar syndrome and monitoring of physical and chemical deterioration
Video
- Physical condition assessment including triage work determining potential issues with playback
Enhancement for Access
Audio
- Limited enhancement of distribution copies for improved sound quality to meet specific institutional needs
Motion Picture
- Color correction and density correction for new film elements
- Limited enhancement of reproduction and distribution files for improved visual or auditory quality to meet specific institutional needs
Video
- Limited enhancement of reproduction and distribution files for improved visual or auditory quality to meet specific institutional needs
Stabilization of Physical Objects
Audio and Video
- Sticky shed remediation and tape-baking
- Tape splicing
- Demagnetization
Motion Picture
- Repair of cracks, tears, broken/missing perforations, and other physical damage
- Cleaning and rehousing film reels
Technical Services
General
- Technical metadata identification, collection, validation, and schema development
- Tool identification, evaluation, and testing
- Format obsolescence monitoring
- Quality assurance program development
- Quality control of digital products through automated systems and human-driven processes
- Equipment identification, evaluation, monitoring, testing, and maintenance
Technical Support
Audio
- Application, hardware and software identification, research, and testing
- DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) hardware and software installation
- Audio playback equipment installation and troubleshooting
Motion Picture
- Format obsolescence monitoring including digital format issues and film stock availability
- Motion picture equipment and digital workstation installation and troubleshooting
Video
- Digital video editing workstation hardware and software installation
- Video playback equipment installation and troubleshooting
Education and Training
General
- Cross-training provided for NARA staff (including Field Offices and Presidential Libraries)
- Teach internal and external workshops and other classes
- Host interns and lead departmental tours
- Present at professional conferences
- Author articles, publications, or programs for internal and external journals
Collaboration and Outreach Beyond NARA
General
- Participate in the development of tools and standards
- Monitor technical compliance with industry standards
- Survey developments in comparable institutions in both process and products
Audio
- Develop and maintain essential relationships beyond NARA through active participation in professional organizations such as the Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC), International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA), and Society of American Archivists Recorded Sound Roundtable (SAA) as well standards groups such as Audio Engineering Society (AES) and Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative (FADGI)
Motion Picture
- Develop and maintain essential relationships beyond NARA through active participation in professional organizations such as the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA), International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF), Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative (FADGI), and others
- Collaborate with external academic partners in the planning and execution of the Films of State conference
- Participate in cooperative preservation and exhibition initiatives including the Orphan Film Symposium, AMPAS Oscar Nominees and Winners, Pacific Film Archive programs, Cinémathèque Française programs, the Environmental Film Festival, National Film Preservation Foundation projects and others
- Collaborate on joint projects and technical evaluations with other professional institutions including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the Library of Congress (LoC), The George Eastman Museum (GEM), The National Film Preservation Foundation (NFPF), and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Film and Television Archive
Video
- Develop and maintain essential relationships beyond NARA through active participation in professional organizations such as the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) as well as standards groups such as Advanced Media Workflow Association, Inc. (AMWA) and Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative (FADGI)