atgof.co blog

Film Restoration Summer School

2012-01-10T09:38:00.002Z

I'm not sure if anyone in the entire world can now afford to send anyone to the acclaimed film restoration summer school / FIAF summer school, but the key dates are:
On-line Distance Learning: 9 May – 20 June
Theory Classes: 23 – 30 June
On site training at the laboratory L’Immagine Ritrovata: 2 – 13 July

The summer school is linked to the Il Cinema Ritrovato, so presumably the festival will run from 23 - 30 June. However, I can't find any mention of 2011 dates on their website, so I may be wrong.

Film database interoperability

2012-01-10T09:32:00.002Z

The film database interoperability website (filmstandards.org) has all the latest on the standards EN15744 and EN15907.

zzzzzzzzzzzz

2012-01-08T17:25:00.003Z

This blog is taking a rest.

Too much else to do at present!

See you some time again.

Merry Christmas to all

2011-12-23T13:47:00.001Z

Raw data from the public sector

2011-12-23T13:43:00.002Z

EU re-use of publc sector data -
Now to include libraries and archives

Info here

Photo of the day 14-12-11

2011-12-14T17:49:00.004Z

Today was the National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales's Open Day. I think the last event of the 10th anniversary birthday bash.

Here's a photo of some film spools. More back of house pictures at my new website here

Not just the old Steenbecks, but also the shiny new MWA telecine units, which herald a new future and direction for the Archive!

Public sector strike

2011-11-30T19:07:00.002Z

What would you do with 1.8 billion?

2011-11-24T12:35:00.001Z

Thousands of people working in cinema, TV, culture, music, performing arts, heritage and related areas would benefit from increased EU support under the new Creative Europe programme unveiled by the European Commission today. With a proposed budget of €1.8 billion for the period 2014-2020, it would be a much-needed boost for the cultural and creative industries, which are a major source of jobs and growth in Europe. The new programme would allocate more than €900 million in support of the cinema and audiovisual sector (area covered by current MEDIA programme) and almost € 500 million for culture. The Commission is also proposing to allocate more than €210 million for a new financial guarantee facility, which would enable small operators to access up to €1 billion in bank loans, as well as around €60 million in support of policy cooperation and fostering innovative approaches to audience building and new business models.

Read the full press release here

Photo of the day 19-11-11

2011-11-20T12:00:00.001Z

Sunset over the Llyn Peninsula

Photo of the day 9-11-11

2011-11-09T19:42:00.000Z

Branwen in the mist

Digital film preservation in archives - presentations

2011-11-08T19:56:00.002Z

The presentations from the recent symposium (21 to 23 September 2011 in Krems)on digital film restoration in archives are now available here.

Green Paper Consultation Deadline imminent

2011-11-08T19:33:00.002Z

Green Paper on the online distribution of audiovisual works in the Eurohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifpean Union: opportunities and challenges towards a digital single market.

"The Green Paper looks at the ways in which the audiovisual sector is changing in response to technology developments and consumer expectations. It invites stakeholders to comment on the challenges and opportunities facing audiovisual media service providers, and in particular whether the regulatory and legal framework poses barriers to the cross border availability of online services in the EU. The Green Paper focuses in particular on the copyright licensing framework, and discusses a number of regulatory approaches to licensing. In addition, it looks at the remuneration of authors and performers for the online use of their works; and deals with certain special uses of audiovisual works"

Note the deadline for comments is 18 November.

Digital data archiving

2011-11-08T19:27:00.003Z

PV2011: CNES, Toulouse, France, Conference - Standards for Archives and Interoperability enabling new added value services 15-17 November.

Photo of the day 7-11-11

2011-11-07T20:28:00.003Z

Canoemists

Photo of the day 4-11-11

2011-11-04T19:08:00.002Z

Please drive carefully!

Photo of the day 1-11-11

2011-11-01T19:19:00.001Z

Oops a daisy. Yes, there are autumnal surfers in the cold cold waters of Cardigan Bay

2Bn anyone?

2011-11-01T18:34:00.002Z

IMAGO President draws attention to the real cost of film digitising, and what will happen if a step change in funding is not made.

EU Commission recommends

2011-10-31T14:29:00.002Z

EU Commission Recommendations on digitisation and Digital Preservation. Here is a link to their press release (28 October 2011), which itself can take you to the full text of the recommendations and to other useful background information.

"The Recommendation is an update of a first recommendation adopted in 2006. It takes account of Member States’ progress reports from 2008 and 2010, which show that although progress has been made, more and better action is needed as regards financial resources, quantitative targets for digitisation and solid support for Europeana. It also builds on the conclusions of the Comité des Sages, appointed by Commissioners Kroes and Vassiliou in 2010, on bringing Europe's cultural heritage online."

Scintillating stuff indeed.

Today I have been mainly...

2011-10-27T16:10:00.004+01:00

For the last couple of weeks I've been working on a project for Ffotoaber, putting together a show of photographs and moving image, historical and modern which was screened on the Aberystwyth Promenade over the last couple of nights.

Hard graft in the time available, but great fun, and a couple of hundred satisfied "customers".

With a lot of luck and a little money, Ffotoaber will hopefully continue into the future. A great example of how community spirit and a handful of get-up-and-go people can make things happen (i.e the organisers, not me).

BL sound archive gets what it deserves

2011-10-18T11:33:00.001+01:00

The British Library Sound Archive has received the highest UNESCO accolade for its ethnographic collection. Read all about it here.

Photo of the day 17-10-11

2011-10-17T16:54:00.004+01:00

Just the other day I happened upon the tail end (sorry!) of a sheep sale.

This was the first foray of the month with a camera, as I've been too busy doing "other things", mainly picture research for a couple of books (not mine). One book down, one to go.

Mentioning books, there are a few second hand copies available of an old one of mine and Paul O'Leary - "Wales of one hundred years ago" (they don't make them like that any more). Lovely pictures from NLW and very interesting passages from the archives, if you're interested... various sellers... on Amazon

Thanks - Diolch

2011-10-16T22:31:00.003+01:00

From time to time I consider giving up on this blog. It often comprises links to information that I feel is important or timely, or just interesting, that can be found elsewhere, and there are umpteen aggregators of such data, semi automatic twitter feeds and so on that do a much more comprehensive job than I'm able to do, and of course a blog should really be a place to "state one's mind" rather than an inefficient SDI service; but somehow keeping my thoughts and views to myself is ingrained. But for some reason I can't bring myself just yet to kill the blog off.

This evening I looked at the blog stats and found that the majority of those peeking at the blog, including many users who return several times a month, mainly come from outside the UK.

So whoever you might be, I hope that you found the links I provide useful, and the pictures interesting - thanks to you from the following places and countries who have visited these pages over the last couple of weeks, from Nebraska, Texas, Vietnam, Cambridge (UK) Bangalore, Gloucester, Hyderabad, California (several of you), Wick, Paris (many of you), Wrexham, Leicester, Huddersfield, Moscow, Malvern, Lancaster, Poland (several), BBC London, LA, Norway, Peru, Santiago, Ohio (several of you), Brussels (several), Wedel, Oxford. Munchen, Melbourne, Aber Uni., New York, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Missouri, Barcelona, Dominican Republic, Brisbane, Prague, Monaco, Baku, Bratislava, Jerusalem, Utrecht, Koln, Meath, Stockholm, Basel, Sweden, Italy (several peekers), Lusaka, Malta, Edmonton, Brussels, Donegal, Bulgaria....

Like I said, thanks for looking!

Digital Film Restoration in Archives

2011-09-24T17:46:00.002+01:00

September 21-23, 2011 / Austrian Film Gallery Krems
In cooperation with Filmarchiv Austria and the Austrian Film Museum

"Join us in Krems, Austria, for the symposium “Digital Film Restoration within Archives”. Take part in panels and discussions on a wide range of theoretical subjects from restoration ethics to documentation, as well as on practical challenges of the new digital technologies, and share experiences with other archive and restoration professionals.

Participating archives & institutions: George Eastman House, EYE Film Institute Netherlands, Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen, Imperial War Museum London, Fuji Film Corporation, reto.ch Ltd, Danish Film Institute, Arri Group, JOANNEUM RESEARCH, hs art, Filmarchiv Austria, Austrian Film Museum, and others."

Full details here

Photo of the day 24-9--2011

2011-09-24T17:33:00.000+01:00

Scudamore window at Rhosilli church, Gower.

Breakthrough for digitising books in the EU

2011-09-20T18:32:00.001+01:00

"Key European stakeholders have approved a “ground-breaking” set of principles for digitising and making publicly available out-of-print books and journals. The accord could serve as a template for dealing with the vexing problem of orphan works, those for whom the copyright owner cannot be found, according to International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations CEO Olav Stokkmo."

Read all about it here

Photo of the day 18-9--2011

2011-09-18T16:52:00.001+01:00

Winter approaches.

S4C and Local TV (UK)

2011-09-15T17:05:00.003+01:00

CM 7180 is now available

"BROADCASTING
An Agreement Between
Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for Culture,
Olympics, Media and Sport and
the British Broadcasting Corporation"

This document reveals the funding and governance agreements with special regard to the BBC World Service, the BBC / S4C "partnership", and the development of local TV in the UK.

It makes clear that the BBC will be responsible for funding S4C from 2015, which for those not following the acrid debate in Wales, may be deemed as bad news for the service and the future of Welsh language TV and new media.

Slings and Arrows

2011-09-15T14:18:00.002+01:00

Electronic clearance of orphan works via the ARROW system significantly accelerates mass digitisation, according to the BL. It would take one person 1000 years to clear 500,000 works (books?), however, with ARROW, it can takle 5 minutes per item.

The BL study can be downloaded here, or for a quick overview, the highlights are included in their press summary here

The British Library, as part of the wider EU funded ARROW (Accessible Registries of Rights Information and Orphan Works) project[1], has today published a study into rights clearance and mass digitisation which examines the issue of orphan works - works for which the rights holder is untraceable.

'Seeking New Landscapes: A rights clearance study in the context of mass digitisation of 140 books published between 1870 and 2010’ found that more efficient ways of clearing rights and providing cultural institutions with legal certainty over their activities are needed to ensure that h

A software path to video migration

2011-09-12T15:28:00.002+01:00

Cube-Tec and the Fraunhofer Institute have announced a new method of analogue video digitisation.

From their press release "The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in Erlangen and Cube-Tec International GmbH are jointly developing a new procedure for the high-quality and automated digitalization of analogue video cassettes. In this new procedure the complete signal processing path of tape machines is realized via computer software. This enables new forms of quality control, signal processing and the generation of technical meta data, which was previously not possible with the use of video recorders."

Their press release can be found here.

EU extension to copyright of sound recordings

2011-09-07T10:44:00.001+01:00

The 11th hour for the crazy, illogical and damaging extension of copyright. CC blog post.

Photo of the day 6-9--2011

2011-09-06T22:27:00.001+01:00

Drinking Fountain, Amalfi.

Photo of the day 23-8-2011

2011-08-22T19:21:00.001+01:00

Wynford Vaughan Thomas Memorial
Cofeb WVT

Photo of the day 22-8-2011

2011-08-22T10:03:00.000+01:00

Flag of the Catalan Countries

Photo of the day 19-8-2011

2011-08-19T16:49:00.000+01:00

Home. Cartref

Why the inquiry into Hargreaves?

2011-08-18T13:19:00.001+01:00

Now we know why an enquiry has been called into the Hargreaves Report on IP.
It's the music industry again.

Hargreaves - last chance to make a difference

2011-08-16T15:40:00.003+01:00

Commons Select Committee Inquiry into the Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property.

Written evidence needs to arrive by 5 September.

Photo of the day 15-8-2011

2011-08-15T21:02:00.002+01:00

It's been a a cool grey wet summer here, and autumn is nearly upon us in mid-August!

Gulp. Largest animation shot on a Nokia N8

2011-08-12T13:02:00.003+01:00

Gulp. The world's largest stop-motion animation shot on a Nokia N8. from Nokia HD on Vimeo.

This lovely stop motion animation was shot on a Nokia N8 on Pentywyn Beach in south Wales.

Media literacy in Europe

2011-08-11T21:26:00.001+01:00

Invitation to tender - study on film and media literacy in Europe. Better hurryhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif if you're interested.

Gateway to 400,000 films

2011-08-11T21:04:00.010+01:00

400,000 films, posters, lantern slides and ephemera now available through the European Film Gateway and more to come.

Photo of the day 11-8-2011

2011-08-11T17:33:00.001+01:00

Plant Duw (God's Children) at the National Eisteddfod.

Photo of the day 7-8-2011

2011-08-07T09:00:00.002+01:00

T James Jones, Archdruid at the National Eisteddfod, Wrexham.

AV Single Market in the EU

2011-08-03T21:43:00.003+01:00

Heritage institutions, AV media producers and performers should probably send in their views regarding the Green Paper on the "online distribution of audiovisual works in the European Union: opportunities and challenges towards a digital single market"

"The Green Paper looks at the ways in which the audiovisual sector is changing in response to technology developments and consumer expectations. It invites stakeholders to comment on the challenges and opportunities facing audiovisual media service providers, and in particular whether the regulatory and legal framework poses barriers to the cross border availability of online services in the EU. The Green Paper focuses in particular on the copyright licensing framework, and discusses a number of regulatory approaches to licensing. In addition, it looks at the remuneration of authors and performers for the online use of their works; and deals with certain special uses of audiovisual works. "

No rush (November), but a considered reply probably requires a lot of work. There are various activities on the go to promote discussion and analysis.

Implementing Hargreaves

2011-08-03T21:26:00.004+01:00

UK government statement on the the implementation of the Hargreaves report on Intellectual Property. It's easy enough to find links to those reporting and commenting on the decisions. This for example is iStock's take on the decision.

Photo of the day 29-7-2011

2011-07-28T22:11:00.002+01:00

Mussel dredger on the Menai Straits

Photo of the day 27-7-2011

2011-07-26T23:03:00.000+01:00

Angelic

Photo of the day 24-7-2011

2011-07-23T23:01:00.001+01:00

Lib-dem time machine

Photo of the day 20-7-2011

2011-07-20T21:44:00.001+01:00

Bangor Pier

Photo of the day 17-7-2011

2011-07-17T23:14:00.002+01:00

Gerlan chapel at y Borth, a few days after it was closed. More pictures of the end of an era here

Photo of the day 16-7-2011

2011-07-16T11:42:00.003+01:00

Yesterday was the centenary of the laying of the foundation stone of the National Library of Wales, and the promotions people there arranged a "human chain" (or as they called it a "cwtsh" - or "hug") around the building to note the event.

It needed at least 400 people to stand in line to actually reach around the building, and this was easily achieved, with loads to spare - so there must have been many more than 400 there on the day. Not bad, as the weather was cold and damp. I gave up on the queue for the free warming cuppa after the event, such was the demand!

I hope that the government were watching and listening, as its definitely time to prepare for the next phase of the building, as the "TLB" (Third Library Building) opened by the Queen in 1996 was designed for 25 years of growth, but looks to be filling up already.

Rural Broadband in extra time and photo of the day...

2011-07-15T11:48:00.005+01:00

The University at Lampeter, in for yet another merger...

Recently there have been a number of reports, graphics in the press and so forth relating to the dire coverage of "fast broadband" (or rather lack of) across the UK, and in particular most of Wales and the Scottish Highlands.

So just to give you townies reading a little hint of what this can mean for us hicks in the sticks, here's a little story...

Yesterday it was nice and sunny, and I decided it was the right time to wander off and take some stock photographs of a few important Welsh sites, now rather ignored or forgotten (no, not self portraits ;-). It was to be a round trip of around 60 miles (absolutely totally impossible by public transport, but that's yet another gripe for another day).

The trip, getting from place to place, getting slightly lost, in and out of the car, walking around, taking shots, checking facts, getting home, loading the photos, sorting the wheat from the chaff, minor retouching, exporting to the QC requirements of the picture agency, took seven hours, including a gobbled lunch.

Now I live in a large village only 4 miles from Aberystwyth, the biggest town around here, which has a university, National Library, government offices etc etc etc. Hardly the back of beyond. Uploading the files via our BT Broadband ("up to" 8MB, but more like 0.6MB in reality) took, (drum roll) - another six hours. Had I been on JANET, or at my daughter's home in Cardiff, or even in a tiny village five miles from here, or perhaps even in Aberystwyth town itself, this horribly boring task might have taken half an hour, but it took almost another "working day" to achieve. So my "day" was thirteen hours, rather than the more reasonable eight it could/should have been. And you dare not leave the upload too long, in case of a dreaded "upload encountered a problem"! When I've covered sites nearer home, the uploads actually take longer than the shoots themselves.

There is very fast broadband infrastructure nearby - almost within a stone's throw (JANET and the government network), so it's a shame that the infrastructure has grown in such an uncoordinated, non-strategic fashion. Whilst those that have the resources (taxpayers money) such as academia and government, have ensured that they get a super fast service, the small businesses that really need fast broadband so as to establish a diverse sustainable rural economy are left to the whim of BT and others. And as the main employers in the area are academia and government - already served by their own infrastructures - there isn't much scope for BT and others to make big bucks just from the likes of me.

If I was young and starting out on my own, rather than the settled old semi-retiree that I suppose I am, I'd have to factor the rural "broadband lag" into my business equation, and quite honestly, I'd have to set up somewhere else.

Photo of the day 13-7-2011

2011-07-13T17:32:00.001+01:00

Cardiff Bay and the St David's Hotel and Spa (am amazing spa by the way)

TV heritage on-line: EUscreen conference

2011-07-11T11:22:00.003+01:00

Second EUscreen International Conference on Use and Creativity
Date: 15-16 September 2011
Location: National Library of Sweden, Humlegården, Stockholm.

EUscreen, the best practice network for Europe’s television heritage, organizes its Second International Conference on Use and Creativity. The conference takes place in Stockholm on 15 and 16 September 2011. The programme consists of two workshops, a plenary session with keynotes and case studies by renowned experts in the field.
Attendance is free but on-line registration is required.

Conference programme:
At the international conference, EUscreen will discuss the online potential of European television heritage. The conference will explore creative approaches to enhance online accessibility of European television heritage. The goal is to expand methods to reach a wide range of users and to increase their engagement with online heritage materials.

The conference programme consists of a plenary session with keynotes and case studies by renowned experts in the field. On the second day of the programme, attendees will take part in two workshops. The first workshop is about EUscreen’s user community and how EUscreen services can be exploited with the objectives of learning, research, leisure/cultural heritage and creative reuse in mind. The second workshop will be on exploring funding opportunities and devising sustainable business models for the digitisation of audio-visual material.

Confirmed speakers:
• Lynn Spigel (Northwestern University, USA)
• Dagan Cohen (Upload Cinema, NL)
• Kajsa Hedström (Swedish Film Institute, SE)
• Johan Axhamn (Stockholm University, SE)
• Aubery Escande (Europeana, NL)
• Jérôme Bourdon (Tel Aviv University, IL)
• Dana Mustata (Utrecht University, NL)
• Pere Arcas (Televisió de Catalunya, ES)
• Roland Sejko (Cinecittà Luce, IT)
• Andreas Fickers (Maastricht University, NL)
• Marius Snyder (PrestoCentre, EU)
• Martin Bouda and Karel Sieber (Česká televize, CZ)

Please go here for programme updates and make sure to register in time for this event.

Photo of the day 6-7-2011

2011-07-06T19:46:00.000+01:00

Aberystwyth Marina

Photo of the day 4-7-2011

2011-07-04T15:17:00.001+01:00

Sorry, I'm out of the office...

Photo of the day 2-7-2011

2011-07-02T11:13:00.002+01:00

Llangrannog

Photo of the day 26-6-2011

2011-06-26T22:39:00.001+01:00

Ynyslas

Photo of the day 24-6-2011

2011-06-24T17:34:00.001+01:00

Castell Bach (Coed Helen), Caernarfon. A folly built by Coed Helen Estate landowner Rice Thomas in Victorian times. It now houses unromantic mobile phone masts, and there is no damsel in distress.

Photo of the day 23-6-2011

2011-06-23T14:44:00.002+01:00

Friction Dynamex security gate.

Horizon 2020

2011-06-22T15:20:00.001+01:00

How the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation got its name.

Photo of the day 21-6-2011

2011-06-21T16:51:00.003+01:00

Delapidated farmstead near Rhyd Ddu in north Wales. The date 1780 is carved into the stone above the doorway.

Rhyd Ddu was the birthplace of one of Wales's greatest twentieth century poets and academics, Sir Thomas Hebert Parry-Williams

Assessing State aid for films and other audiovisual works - Public Consultation

2011-06-20T22:43:00.000+01:00

Via EFG - thanks.

Assessing State aid for films and other audiovisual works - Public Consultation
Deadline: 30 September 2011
The European Commission has launched a public consultation as the first step of a review of the criteria used to apply EU state aid rules to Member States' financial support for making and distributing films. The current Cinema Communication ishttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif 10 years old. The Commission has published an issues paper identifying areas for reflection, such as competing to attract major film productions using state aid, and supporting activities other than production. The Commission invites interested parties to submit their comments by 30 September 2011.

One of the questions concerns film heritage:
"Since most European films receive public support, it could help to develop film culture/literacy and ensure that supported films are safeguarded for future generations if such funding is conditional on the supported films being deposited and available for cultural/educational use. Should a new Communication invite Member States to do so, especially if the public funding is over 50% of the film's budget?"

If you would like to reply to the public consultation, please follow this link:

Photo of the day 15-6-2011

2011-06-15T21:50:00.003+01:00

Tiny chapel at Cwm Rheidol, mid Wales

30 years of science on photographic conservation

2011-06-15T16:08:00.002+01:00

An international conference on the science of photographic conservation
June 20-23, with a subsequent two day epilogue for the National Conference. Both of them
will take place at the Conference venue Escuela Superior de diseño de La Rioja in the city of Logroño.

Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival

2011-06-12T20:37:00.001+01:00

Provisional programme (in Italian) for Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival 25 June - 3 July is available here (slow-to-load .pdf).

Photo of the day 12-6-2011

2011-06-12T10:24:00.001+01:00

Queen's Tennis Tournament. Rain stops play.

Photo of the day 6-6-2011

2011-06-06T22:24:00.001+01:00

Touching horses

Photo of the day 4-6-2011

2011-06-04T19:07:00.003+01:00

Terry Dyddgen Jones helping to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales, with a talk on his career as a director of Coronation Street, Eastenders, Heartbeat, Pobol y Cwm, and a host of other English and Welsh language TV dramas.

Photo of the day 1-6-2011

2011-06-01T21:26:00.002+01:00

A buzzy time of the year for everyone.

Photo of the day 28-5-2011

2011-05-28T22:33:00.002+01:00

Ney.

Photo of the day 27-5-2011

2011-05-27T19:31:00.001+01:00

Hole in the Wall Street, Caernarfon

I'm spending quite a bit of time these days up in Caernarfon, north Wales.

EU Directive on orphan works

2011-05-24T12:45:00.002+01:00

An important announcement from the EU regarding a directive for the use of orphan works, of interest to filmmakers, broadcasters, libraries and archives, as well as potential rights holders.

The full proposal can be found here

Photo of the day 23-5-2011

2011-05-23T14:44:00.002+01:00

Change of direction heading out to sea.

Hargreaves Report on IPR

2011-05-23T14:37:00.002+01:00

Hargreaves Report on IPR

Photo of the day 20-5-2011

2011-05-20T19:33:00.000+01:00

David Lloyd George

Photo of the day 18-5-2011

2011-05-18T19:19:00.000+01:00

If only...
Photo taken on the Grossglockner a few moons ago, and resurrected today.

Photo of the day 17-5-2011

2011-05-17T18:42:00.001+01:00

It must be summer. It's grey, dismal, raining, and there's a tent in the field.

Doing it the French way

2011-05-17T18:38:00.003+01:00

Green with envy again, another step up and ahead for France.

Via EFG - many thanks Mari.

The French government has signed an agreement with 6 French "societés détentrices de catalogues" (Europacorp, Gaumont, Pathé, SNC, Studio 37 and StudioCanal) in order to digitise at least 1000 feature films in French language. The agreement was signed on 15 May 2010 in Cannes, in the presence of the "Societé des auteurs et compositeurs dramatiques" and the Cinémathèque Française. The agreement is open to other cinematographic right-holders. Under this agreement, the State may finance up to 70% of the cost of digitisation. Digitised films should meet at least the 2K standard. In return, the right-holder should commit itself to do a commercial exploitation of the digitised works.

The agreement (in French) can be downloaded from
http://www.cnc.fr/web/fr/actualites/-/liste/18/135306

In addition, the French CNC has announced a complementary support scheme for the digitisation of cinematographic works of highly artistic and cultural value. In principle, this should cover silent films and shorts. The scheme will also support the transfer to film of digitised films, when this is required to ensure its long-term preservation.

More information can be found on:
http://www.cnc.fr/web/fr/actualites/-/liste/18/135306

For info on state support of the film and media industry in Europe, visit this site.

Clearing Orphan Films

2011-05-16T22:30:00.002+01:00

Free conference in Amsterdam - but HURRY. Booking form here.

Developing best practices for rights clearing and the IPR management of cinematographic works has been one of the aims and challenges of the European Film Gateway project which is about to end this August. Although the EFG partner archives will be provided with the necessary tools to clear rights for the film-related material they want to publish online, one major question remains unsolved: how to facilitate access to and provide for the legal use of orphan works on Europeana and other cultural heritage portals?

The conference would like to provide a platform to continue the discussion between the involved stakeholders and address the following key questions and issues:

How is the orphan works issue dealt within Europeana and the Europeana group of projects?
Which models do they consider appropriate to clear rights and facilitate online access to orphan works: legal solutions, contractual agreements, extended collective licensing, risk management?
Which models are applicable for the film heritage sector and which are not?
Examples of best practices for rights clearing and IPR management within European film archives

The conference is organised and hosted by EYE Film Institute Netherlands, leader of the EFG Work Package “IPR Management and Administration”. EYE is supported by ACE , the Association of European Film Archives and Cinematheques, initiator of EFG and one of the leading protagonists in the orphan works debate.

Attendance of the conference is free of charge, however, please note that the amount of seats is limited.

Photo of the day 15-5-2011

2011-05-15T21:15:00.003+01:00

The "Marble Church" at Bodelwyddan (click through and view the whole photo - view at original size!).

ST. Margaret's has its own website and domain. Find out more here.

However, the church is best know for its Canadian "mutiny" graves.

Photo of the day 10-5-2011

2011-05-10T20:57:00.001+01:00

Old Dog!

Library of Congress National Jukebox

2011-05-10T20:30:00.003+01:00

LC Press Release...

The Library of Congress and Sony Music Entertainment today unveiled a new website of over 10,000 rare historic sound recordings available to the public for the first time digitally. The site is called the "National Jukebox" (www.loc.gov/jukebox/).

Developed by the Library of Congress, with assets provided by Sony Music Entertainment, the National Jukebox offers free online access to a vast selection of music and spoken-word recordings produced in the U.S. between the years 1901 and 1925.

The website was launched at a Library news conference featuring an appearance by Grammy-winning pianist, singer and actor Harry Connick, Jr. The Columbia recording artist performed the song "I’m Just Wild About Harry," which is on the site performed by composer Eubie Blake.

"This amazing collection is a chance to hear history," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington, who joined Connick and officials of Sony Music Entertainment at the press event. "This collection includes popular music, dance music, opera, early jazz, famous speeches, poetry and humor. It is what our grandparents and great-grandparents listened to, danced to, sang along with. This brings online one of the most explosively creative periods in American culture and music and one of the finest additions to the Library's American Memory materials."

"We are thrilled to be joining with the Library of Congress to launch the National Jukebox," said Richard Story, President, Commercial Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment. "As the steward of much of the output from the American recording industry prior to 1934, Sony Music is excited to preserve and share online these important cultural treasures from its archives with students, historians, and music-lovers alike, and create new audiences for and appreciators of the many extraordinary works from the pre-1925 era."

The agreement for the National Jukebox grants the Library of Congress usage rights to Sony Music’s entire pre-1925 catalog—comprising thousands of recordings produced by Columbia Records, OKeh, and Victor Talking Machine Co. among others – and represents the largest collection of such historical recordings ever made publicly available for study and appreciation online.

Works by Fletcher Henderson, Al Jolson, George M. Cohan, Eddie Cantor, Will Rogers, Alberta Hunter, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Leopold Stokowski, Arturo Toscanini, and opera stars Enrico Caruso, Nellie Melba and Geraldine Farrar are all covered, as are such original recordings as the Paul Whiteman Concert Orchestra's "Rhapsody in Blue" with George Gershwin on piano, and Nora Bayes' "Over There."

Visitors to the National Jukebox will be able to listen to available recordings on a streaming-only basis, as well as view thousands of label images, record-catalog illustrations, and artist and performer bios. In addition, users can further explore the catalog by accessing special interactive features, listening to playlists curated by Library staff, and creating and sharing their own playlists.

At launch, the National Jukebox will feature recordings exclusively from Sony Music’s Victor Talking Machine Co. catalog, and include songs and other materials such as the Original Dixieland Jazz Band performing "Livery Stable Blues"—considered the first jazz recording ever released—Lena Wilson singing "T’aint Nobody’s Biz-ness If I Do" (1923), and the famed Ziegfeld Follies star Fannie Brice singing "My Man."

In addition, the collection will include early jazz, many blues songs and novelty songs meant to evoke laughter (such as the 1908 "Cat Duet" that simulated the sounds of cats yowling in the night), and recordings made for distinct ethnic groups, such as Irish songs or home-nation music beloved by immigrants to the U.S.

Not just limited to music, users also can access political speeches by Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, William Jennings Bryan and William Howard Taft, recitings of famous popular poems such as "Casey at the Bat" and "Wynken, Blynken and Nod," readings from the Bible and early sound-effects records such as a collection of snores and sneezes.

The website will showcase special interactive features as well, including a digital facsimile of the 1919 edition of the famous opera guide "Victrola Book of the Opera," which describes more than 110 operas, including illustrations, plot synopses and lists of recordings offered in that year. Features include the book’s original text, a comparison of the different interpretations of the most popular arias of the period, and streamed recordings of nearly every opera referenced in the book.

The National Jukebox additionally will include playlists annotated by Library staff, focusing on different genres, time periods, themes and artists. Users also will be able to create their own playlists to post on their own webpages and social networking sites or submit them to the Library for posting on the National Jukebox site.

Other features include pages of background information on both the creation of the National Jukebox and audio-preservation practices.

The recordings featured in the National Jukebox were made using what is known as the acoustical process, which predates the use of microphones. Speakers spoke into, or singers sang into, cones which vibrated an attached diaphragm and stylus, etching sound waves onto a rotating wax disc. These original discs later could be converted into masters used to mold the records sold for home use.

Metadata for the website’s Victor content will be cataloged and controlled by comprehensive discographic data compiled by the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) for their online "Encyclopedic Discography of Victor Records" http://victor.library.ucsb.edu/). The Library’s association with UCSB will provide users with an easily searchable database of every recording in the National Jukebox.

"This represents a strong step in the Library’s efforts to return out-of-circulation recordings to public access," said Gene DeAnna, head of the Library’s Recorded Sound Section. "Sony Music’s commitment to making its recordings more accessible is unprecedented. We will seek additional donors and contributors in an effort to develop the most comprehensive website of historic sound recordings and related interpretive content."

Library of Congress Launches, with Sony Music Content, the National Jukebox, an Online Destination for Historical Sound Recordings

Largest Collection of Historical Recordings Ever Made Publically

Available Online

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. It seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov and via interactive exhibitions on a personalized website at myLOC.gov.

Sony Music Entertainment houses the libraries of both Columbia and Victor (now RCA), the two oldest record companies in existence, and many historical recordings are contained in its archives. The very first label, Columbia, was started in 1887 by men working in partnership with the inventors of the wax cylinder, the first successful sound reproduction format, and in 1890 released the first musical entertainment recording, the John Philip Sousa band's "Washington Post March." The Victor Talking Machine Company, founded in 1901, was created by the inventors of the first successful sound-on-disc reproduction system.

Photo of the day 8-5-2011

2011-05-08T11:46:00.004+01:00

I've just cheered up, remembering that it'll soon be time for the next Hay Festival! Why this picture? It shows a shop window at Gelligandryll - Hay on Wye, the home of the festival.

Photo of the day 7-5-2011

2011-05-07T22:08:00.002+01:00

A remote and disused mill on the Quaker Trail, near Dolgellau, north Wales.

There were once many Quakers in this area, and many left for America to avoid constant persecution. Brynmawr University, Pennsylvania is named in honour of Rowland Ellis who emigrated from his home, Brynmawr farm, which is passed on this trail.

Photo of the day 6-5-2011

2011-05-06T16:11:00.004+01:00

What do you do with an oversized teddybear you've won in a raffle (second prize)?

You find him a home via twitter.

Here he's off to meet his new foster parents. Unfortunately he's so fat that he had great difficulty in fastening his seat belt.

But he got there in the end.

Photo of the day 4-5-11

2011-05-04T21:23:00.001+01:00

Horses on the Llŷn Peninsula

INA

2011-05-03T14:29:00.002+01:00

I've added a link to INA (European centre for research, training and education on digital media) website on the right hand links to this blog. The INA site is useful for further links to FRAME, Presto Centre and so forth.

It is however one of those sites that are very slow to load, but worth it when you eventually get in.

Pilot project call for proposals

2011-05-02T20:38:00.001+01:00

Via CEG>

The call for proposals is open until 14 June 2011. The types of actions considered under this Call for Proposals are:
• Distribution: new ways of creating, distributing and promoting European audiovisual content via non linear services;
• Open Media Production Environment;
• Distribution - Promotion & Marketing: the use of web techniques to develop local Cinema Communities;
• “Audiovisual Junction Portal”: to widen and improve the access and the exploitation of structured information of European audiovisual content.

The total budget earmarked for the co-financing of actions is estimated at 1.5 million Euros. The financial contribution from the Agency cannot exceed 50% of the total eligible costs.

http://ec.europa.eu/culture/media/programme/newtech/pilot/forms/index_en.htm

Cultural statistics - Europe

2011-05-02T20:25:00.003+01:00

A really interesting statistical publication on the impact of "culture" in Europe. Essential reading for planners in the culture and heritage sector

Photo of the day

2011-05-02T20:18:00.002+01:00

University of Bangor, overlooking the site of "Pontio" - the proposed city Arts Centre.

Photo of the day

2011-05-01T10:44:00.004+01:00

Eglwys Pistyll

Pistyll is a tiny speck on the map of the Llŷn Peninsula in north Wales.
The tiny community grew from a handful to the many hundreds when the local granite quarries prospered, then declined, leaving the graveyard full of inscriptions of families blighted by early death.

Pistyll church was there way way before the quarries, and is still there today, as if untouched by commerce and industry or the ebb and flow of the population; more in tune with the middle ages than modern times. It's dark (the peasants had no need for illumination, as they were illiterate) and the floor is strewn with fragrant rushes (presumably to obscure the human aroma). In this mediaeval time-warp, strangest of all is this window piece, which in its mossy decline, lends some morbid facination.

Photo of the day

2011-04-30T09:28:00.007+01:00

Ynys Llanddwyn

On the coast of Anglesey, Llanddwyn Island is associated with Dwynwen, the Welsh Saint of lovers, and is a most beautiful and spiritual place.

The photo was taken on the wedding day of William and Kate, which I suppose is rather (unintentionally) apt, as they now reside just a few miles up the coast.

Photo of the day

2011-04-26T22:37:00.003+01:00

King's College Cambridge

Photo of the day

2011-04-24T20:36:00.003+01:00

This is Kyoto train station. I love "architectural" photography, and the Kyoto station provided some magnificent structures and angles (there are other views of the station on my flickr stream, if you click through and browse...).

I'd half considered visiting Kyoto again this May, it's such a wonderful combination of old and new, and late April to May provides a wonderful vista of Cherry Blossom lined walks.

However, with the recent tragedy to afflict Japan, it just wouldn't seem right to visit as a tourist, somehow. Perhaps I'll be able to visit again some day, in happier times.

Photo of the day

2011-04-21T16:33:00.003+01:00

While much of the UK population is preparing for an extended holiday, work on a farm has to continue day in day out, no matter Bank Holidays or royal weddings.

I took this photo on the way down from the Mynydd Gorddu windfarm. The farm staff were busy herding sheep, repairing buildings, carrying waste and as we see here, ploughing the fields.

National Archives announcement made (UK)

2011-04-20T20:00:00.002+01:00

Support and leadership for the UK’s archive sector will transfer to The National Archives (TNA) from April 2012 following the closure of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), Culture Minister Ed Vaizey announced today.

Full press release here

Public Digital Space

2011-04-20T19:37:00.006+01:00

The BBC (and others) have big ideas about creating a Public Digital Space. In fact they have a PDS project.

To see how it's getting on, take a look here.

Photo of the day

2011-04-20T09:20:00.004+01:00

A short stop-off at Talyllyn lake, at the foot of Cader Idris, to consume a sandwich with a view.

On reflection, a jolly good picnic spot.

BBC Media Hub

2011-04-18T09:54:00.003+01:00

Working around the silo

BBC Studios and Post Productions have installed a new media hub, which integrates all file based post production workflows, including functions oft seen as archive-centred, such as digital archiving and restoration. In addition the hub provides global file delivery, transcoding, media storage, duplication, library digitisation and file-based quality check.

"This project also included the development of a custom control-system for automated, library digitisation. Developed by BBC Studios and Post Production's in-house team, this provides for managed ingest into a wide range of industry-standard formats, whilst integrating with their quality check and metadata management systems."

See the very interesting full news item here.

Sleepless IPR

2011-04-14T22:00:00.003+01:00

How could one ever tire of IPR?

Don't stay awake worrying if you are within the law - here's something useful to do in those twilight hours - follow the JISC IPR and Licensing e-learning module. Once completed, your litigation worries will be over, and you'll sleep the night through.