Preservation Case Studies

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Preservation Case Studies

• Aimee Castenell
• Lindsay Herron
• Kara Van Malssen

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Losing It

• A film by Sharon Greytak
• Shot entirely on location on DVC Pro
• Started in 1997, not completed until 2000
• Viewed VHS copy

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Sharon Greytak

• Filmmaker, Artist
• Studied as a painter at CalArts
• Works with both documentary and fiction films
• Focuses on or draws attention to disabled persons
  in her works. As a disabled person herself, this
  is an issue that is central to her worldview.

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Losing It

• Documentary
• Filmed on location on DVC Pro
• Features people living with disabilities in
  Siberia Hong Kong Sao Paolo, Brazil Vicenza,
  Italy and New York

5
Distribution

• Screened at range of venues, including
• The Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center
• MoMAs Gramercy Theater
• The Egyptian Theater in L.A.
• The Double Take Documentary Film Festival (now
  called Full Frame)
• Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
• Special screenings in Hong Kong and Siberia

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The Production Process and Resultant Materials
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Pre-Production
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• Locating interview subjects
• Securing funds
• Other preparations for travel

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Materials

• Faxes and other correspondence
• Screener tapes (VHS)
• Project proposal and synopsis
• Interview questions prepared for each country

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Location
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• Neatly stored labeled on bookshelf in Sharons
  apartment

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OR
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• In a box (also neatly labeled) in Sharons
  apartment

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Production/Filming
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• Traveling to Siberia, Hong Kong, Brazil, and
  Italy
• Interviewing subjects
• Filming supplemental materials (photographs)

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Materials

• 25 hours worth of footage
• Still photographs from Russia
• Additional still photos documenting process
• Photos from Sharon Greytaks childhood
• Photos from Marinos life (photos remain in
  Italy)
• Production notes

17
Location

• In a box (neatly labeled) in Sharons apartment
• Neatly stored labeled on bookshelf in Sharons
  apartment
• Stored in photo album

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Postproduction/Finished Product
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• Editing
• Music
• Subtitles

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Materials

• DVC Pro masters
• Beta SP masters
• Beta copies for festivals
• 16mm copy for Walter Reade Theater
• DAT tapes for music and narration
• Transcripts of responses in original language
  English translations
• Tape with subtitles

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Location

• Neatly stored labeled on bookshelf in Sharons
  apartment
• In a box (also neatly labeled) in Sharons
  apartment
• Iron Mountain
• special note some of the materials described
  above might be labeled The Resilient Spirit (the
  films working title) instead of Losing It.

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Value

• Socio-Historical Provides unique insight into
  lives of disabled in different cultures
• May be useful to artists interested in the
  process of creating such a film
• Ancillary materials may be useful to students of
  history
• Unused footage demonstrates Greytaks camera
  style
• Production notes and written materials give
  insight into directors thought process

23
Preservation Issues

• Stores most materials in home
• Labeled either by working or finished title, but
  all labeled
• Copies in various formats

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Recommendations

• Should keep sub-masters in off-site storage
• Keep 16mm print in climate controlled storage
  facility
• Digitize paper objects as back-up for fragile
  material

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For Comparison

• Greytaks Feature Films

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• Hearing Voices (1991)
• The Love Lesson (1995)
• Both received limited theatrical release

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Materials and Storage

• Scripts in script collection at Margaret Herrick
  Library in L.A.
• Script supervisors notes and production notes
  labeled and filed in Greytaks apartment
• DAT tapes for sound and music labeled and filed
  in Greytaks apartment
• Negatives at the lab
• 35 mm prints, outtakes, editors notes in storage
  at Iron Mountain
• Beta, VHS tapes distributed through Cinema Guild

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Caveat 1-- Labels working title vs. final
title Caveat 2-- Rights News footage from
stock house
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The Hidden Jews of New Mexico
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The Hidden Jews of New Mexico

• Three-part radio series
• Benjamin Shapiro, Writer and Producer
• Nan Rubin, Project Director
• Stanley Hordes, Historical Consultant
• Funding from The Corporation for Public
  Broadcasting
• Additional support from the Nathan Cummings
  Foundation, the New Mexico Council for the
  Humanities, the Shefa Fund, National Public
  Radio, American Home Furnishings, and
  Electrovoice, a Mark IV Company

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Part I Search for the Buried Past The Hidden
Jews of New Mexico

• Research began in 1986
• Aired 1988
• Two versions
• 12-minute version, NPRs All Things Considered
• 30-minute version, distributed by Rubin Shapiro
• Huge success! Letters, calls, etc.

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Part II The Hidden Jews of New Mexico
Rekindling the Spirit

• 500th anniversary of Edict of Expulsion
• Dennis Duran travels to Madrid for official
  rescinding of Edict of Expulsion
• Aired 1992
• Huge response! Letters, calls, etc.
• Anonymous interviewees from 1st part change their
  minds about anonymity

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Part III The Hidden Jews of New Mexico Return
to Iberia (1995)

• Shapiro, Rubin, unnamed cameraperson accompany
  Ramon Salas and Gloria Trujillo to Belmonte,
  Portugal
• Salas Trujillo research their family roots in
  Spain
• Aired 1995
• Jay Allison credited as editorial consultant

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Production Process and Resultant Materials
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Production/Recording of Series

• Interviews/actuality (on-site or in studio)
• Narration (studio)
• Ambient (on-site or similar location)
• Music
• Rowena Rivera
• Vinyl 33s 78s
• 1/4 tapes
• All transferred to1/4 tape for mix

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Materials

• Approx. 30 hours recorded per program
• High-quality cassettes for on-site material
• 1/4 tape for studio material
• All transferred to1/4 magnetic audio tape for
  editing

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Materials (cont.)

• Video footage of Spain/Portugal trip
• Still photographs or slides of Spain/Portugal
  trip
• Transcripts of interviews
• Scripts for narration

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Post-Production Materials

• Administrative paperwork
• Publicity materials
• High-quality dub copies
• Consumer copies made from master dubs (1,000
  copies sold)
• Transcripts (final) available for purchase
• Clips online

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(No Transcript)
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Location

• Ben Shapiros office (location, labels,
  conditions unknown)
• Nan Rubins office (labeled filed or boxed)

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Value

• Emotional resonance
• Part of the history of Jewish identity
• Valuable to scholars of Jewish history, colonial
  history
• Adds new layer to history of New Mexico
• Search for identity relevant to contemporary
  society

42
Recommendations

• Transfer to CD immediately
• Store original cassettes, 1/4 reels in
  climate-controlled facility
• Update credits on dub copies
• Digitize paper correspondence and photographs