Preserve Media
Meet Leah Simon: Preservation Intern
Meet Leah Simon: BAVC Media Preservation Intern Working with BAVC Media as a preservation intern was a real treat. Coming to video preservation and digitization as a graduate student studying Folklore and archival theory, I had never worked with tape collections before BAVC Media. Not only was I able to apprentice with knowledgeable mentors like Morgan Morel, trained at the University of Michigan's Information Studies Program, or Anne Smatla who graduated from the L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation, but through their mentorship, I was given the training to work with a wide range of tape material that I [...]
Now Available On YouTube: From Video Activism to Early Immersive Media
Stills from: Crip Camp (left) Mind of Universe (right) On June 3rd, 2020, BAVC Media streamed a video event highlighting the history of early video collectives The People’s Video Theatre (PVT) and Survival Arts Media (SAM) through their archive of preserved analog video. From their roots as video activists to their mind-expanding experiments with video art and early immersive media performances, the story of PVT and SAM is the story of early video’s growth into its own distinct form of expression and storytelling. A video recording of the streaming event is now available for viewing here! In these [...]
Walker Art Center: Preserving History, Art, and Conversations
Considered one of the nation’s leading art institutions, Minneapolis’ Walker Art Center has been a leader in musical and dance performances, contemporary design and fine arts, and cinema since 1940. BAVC Media’s Preservation Department has been collaborating with the Walker Art Library & Archives in recent years, digitizing selected one-of-kind videotapes showcasing just a sample of their extraordinary collection. One of the more prominent works of art located in the Sculpture Garden in front of the Walker Art Center is Spoonbridge and Cherry. A whimsically large bent spoon arches over a man-made lake, balancing a large red cherry with its [...]
The 13th Preservation Access Program recipients announced!
There is no doubt that recent events have thrown a curveball at everyone’s daily activities. Our team at BAVC Media Preservation wishes everyone a safe and healthy 2020 and we are grateful that our work to preserve and digitize important AV collections continues (albeit with modified workspaces). More than ever, documentation and learning are essential tools to collectively get us through uncertain times. With that, we are proud to name this year’s list of extraordinary recipients whose media is to be preserved by BAVC Media’s 13th Preservation Access Program. This Program is generously funded by the National Endowment of the [...]
“Crip Camp” to Premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival
Throughout New York State in the 1970s The People's Video Theater was producing documentary programs using Sony PortaPak cameras. At the time, this technology was cutting-edge, and these programs chronicled the counterculture and liberation movements that transformed the politics of America. The collective’s mission was to explore the capabilities of the video medium for creative self-expression and community empowerment. The real-time recording and playback capabilities of this new video medium allowed The People's Video Theater to capture material and play it back for their subjects immediately. This “feedback” capability enabled participants to shape their own stories on-screen, and to initiate [...]
Converting FFV1/MKV to v210/MOV
Digital Deliverables at BAVC Media At BAVC Media Preservation one of our main objectives is to digitize tape-based media formats to preservation-ready digital files. We often try to walk the thin line between helping collection holders make decisions about their master formats and being as flexible as possible to provide them with their desired formats. Literature about the benefits, adoption, and capture of MKV have already been written, so we’ll skip that for now. Instead, this blog post will describe our process of converting FFV1/MKV files to v210/MOV files while ensuring that no data is lost or mangled in the [...]
A Guide to Approaching Audiovisual Digitization for Artists and Arts and Culture Organizations
In 2017 Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC Media) received a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation which supported the continuation of our Preservation Access Program (PAP), which offers subsidized preservation services to artists and organizations with archival audiovisual holdings. As part of the grant, BAVC Media has written this paper meant to provide direction and guidance in the process of preserving audiovisual collections, particularly those owned or managed by individuals or smaller organizations. The paper provides information for both practitioners in the field of preservation as well as information for artists and organizations that will help them to [...]
BAVC Media Announces the 12th Bi-Annual Preservation Access Program Recipients
BAVC Media is proud to announce the recipients of the 12th round of our Preservation Access Program. This program, made possible by a generous grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, helps to subsidize the cost of preserving analog audio and video. This allows us to offer our expertise and services to individuals and artists that would otherwise not be able to afford them! Each round, a panel of local archivists, artists, media producers, and community members is put together to consider the applications that BAVC Media receives. This round more applications were submitted than we’ve ever seen in a [...]
BAVC Media Announces the 11th Bi-Annual Preservation Access Program Recipients
Twice per year, BAVC Media’s Preservation Department selects a group of individuals, artists, and organization to receive funding for digitization and archival projects. These funds come from our Preservation Access Program, which is made possible by a generous grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Additionally, the digital files for any California-related materials are eligible to be stored and preserved by California Revealed, an initiative of the California State Library. We’re proud to announce the recipients of the 11th iteration of this program! The acceptees this round include documentary filmmakers, artists, dancers, cultural heritage institutions, and more! The following is a brief overview of [...]
