Motion Picture Film Reproduction Master - 4K ProRes 4444 MOV [MPD-R1]

Record Type: Digital Output from Motion Picture Film Source

Expected Use: Reproduction Master

Product Name: Motion Picture Film Reproduction Master - 4K ProRes 4444 MOV [MPD-R1]

Product Purpose: The purpose of this product is to respond to reference and reproduction requests. The product is retained to act as a source for compressed reproduction/distribution master High Definition (HD) files, compressed HD and SD (Standard Definition) distribution files, and DCPs (Digital Cinema Package).

Nature of Source Material: All 35mm and 16mm film elements (black and white or color) with or without sound in stable condition as demonstrated by a determination of “Medium” or below on the At Risk Assessment Guide.

Possible File Derivatives: This product can be used to make compressed reproduction/distribution master HD files, compressed HD and SD distribution files, and 4K or 2K DCPs.

Other Information:

• In some cases, this product may be a derivative file created from 4K DPX (Digital Moving-Picture Exchange) and WAV (Waveform) file sources.
• One-light color timing will be employed as appropriate and audio levels will be optimized during the initial capture process but otherwise, the files are unaltered.

File Properties

Quality Control

Quality Assurance and Quality Control for 4K ProRes 4444 MOV Format Products

NARA uses a commercially available, automated batch processing software tool to evaluate specific quality metrics. Below is an outline of our current processes for 4K ProRes 4444 MOV formatted products. We continue to adjust our benchmarks and workflows as needed. In addition, brief visual quality control (QC) is performed to detect artifacts introduced during capture that require more sensitivity than automated systems provide.

Equipment/System Evaluation

NARA implements scheduled service and calibration protocols according to manufacturer recommendations as well as on an "as needed" basis.

Metadata

The MOV filename contains metadata that associates the file with external sources of descriptive and technical metadata. Each filename is a unique identifier composed of the item’s record group, series, item number, reel number, and source element designation (ex. 255-hq-199-r2_p.mov).

Item Level Evaluation: Automated Quality Analysis

Test plans are developed on a format/workflow basis in our automated QC tool. The test plan allows for some characteristics to be evaluated on an actionable basis (warning, fail, or pass depending on the defined parameters). Others are logged for internal use but are not actionable as a warning, pass or fail. Aim points for these benchmarks are evaluated against NARA's product specifications. The following represents the quality test plan technical characteristics for MOV products captured from motion picture film.

Container technical characteristics checked or logged include:

Video technical characteristics checked or logged include:

Audio technical characteristics checked or logged include:

Fixity

The NARA Motion Picture Preservation Lab uses checksum verification for file transfers and for files in long-term storage

Rationale

Currently, the Motion Picture Preservation Lab creates ProRes 4444 video streams in an MOV (Quick Time File Format) wrapper as a 4K reproduction master product option. Film scans are one-light graded and captured in the standard ITU-R Recommendation BT.709 color space, with adjustments made to ensure capture of the most possible image information.

The choice of a wrapper and codec was one that NARA staff looked at very critically. Reproduction master capture files must be high enough quality that they are usable in a production context to fulfill a protective purpose for NARA records. When a 4K ProRes 4444 MOV is captured for a NARA film record the file may be provided to users in lieu of a preservation film element (often unique and irreplaceable), mitigating risk to the record.

Although ProRes 4444 in a QuickTime (MOV) wrapper is a proprietary file format, we found it acceptable as a reproduction master for the following reasons:

• The file format and codec are currently supported by many types of software (including open source) from different manufacturers.
• It allows 4K capture with high-quality compression, reducing file sizes compared to an uncompressed capture.
• It is a widely adopted standard in production contexts, allowing NARA's reproduction master capture files to be used for their intended purpose.