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Approaches to teaching Policy, Project Management, & Leadership Skills

Howard Besser NYU Moving Image Archiving & Preservation

http://www.nyu.edu/tisch/preservation/

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Approaches to teaching Policy, Project Management, & Leadership Skills

General Teaching Philosophy of our program

Specifics of how these fit in the program

Examples of how these play out

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Slide from 2003

Interdisciplinary; students need to

learn the context in which each of these cultural artifacts were made

know the history of changing formats

need to be scientists and technologists who understand: the process of color changes

how certain stocks become too brittle to provide a flat focus for copying

how magnetic particles are laid on videotape and what causes the various types of deterioration

how different computer files link and interact, (and how certain compression algorithms cause various types of loss) so that they can anticipate preservation problems of compressed and hyper-linked digital works

strong organizational and classification skills so that they can manage these collections and help others find things they want in them.

administrative skills to manage these large preservation repositories (whether they be film, video, digital, or others).

understand that preservation does not exist in a vacuum, and that they may have to become activists to prevent outside political forces from inadvertently trampling on our ability to preserve Besser-AMIA 2011 4

Slide from 2003

Competencies

Handling film, video, new media, and understanding how these artifacts are made

Collections assessment, risk assessment

Selection & appraisal

Collection management (labeling, storage, cataloging)

Repair and transfer

Navigating through different institutional cultures

Programming and exhibition

Budgeting, justifying projects, and grant-writing

Donor relations and intellectual property

Research & access

Scholarship

Historical Research

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Slide from 2003

NYU’s MIAP: A curriculum for studying

Moving Image Archiving & Preservation

2-year rigorous Masters Degree Program

Focus is on Theories

Methods

Practices

Mentoring

Learning involves both concepts and hands-on activities, with the aim that the concepts will be applicable to media that hasn’t even been invented yet

Hands-on experience in extensive class projects and 4 required internships for each student

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Slide from 2003

Our Graduates

We are training a new generation of custodians of our cultural heritage

This training has to involve more than the kind of apprenticeship that has traditionally characterized this field

To be an effective Moving Image Archivist in the future will require a combination of the professional and the theoretical, and the ability to apply important traditions and concepts to communications technology of the future that we’ve never even dreamed of today

We want our graduates to act as ―change agents‖ in the organizations they go into

We want to instill in them a commitment to preserve the future as well as the past

Many of us will need to work together to make sure that the moving image artifacts of the 20th century and beyond are available to our grandchildrens’ grandchildrens’ grandchildren.

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Slide from 2003

Ethics

Readings touching on ethics and values in both our domain (Philosophy of A/V Archiving) and related domains (Enola Gay)

Examination of daily occurances for ethical and value-based responses (news articles, ―wardrobe malfunctions‖, Lucas’ ―restoration‖ of THX, sound ―restoration‖)

Extensive discussions on contemporary incidents, and the role that the professional community should play in these Screensound Australia

BFI

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Examples of 2 classes/topics

Students take an entire course on © and another on Collection Management in their first year, then those skills and concepts are integrated into the curriculum and projects for a variety of subsequent courses

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Copyright Class Syllabus

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Copyright Audit

Sign non-disclosure agreement

Go through boxes of records related to a particular television episode from the past, including correspondence, letters of agreement, licenses, union contracts, etc. for all parts of the episode (original footage, clips, sounds, music, narrators, talent, etc.)

What might prevent re-showing the episode on TV, DVD, internet, etc. and what are the risk levels for each impediment

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Collection Management 2011 Assignments

Short paper (4-5 pages) (10%). Compare collection and acquisition, appraisal, and retention policies at two archives. How can an organization’s mission impact its policies? date: February 14.

Fales collection assessment (20%). Draft due: 3/3/2011. Final due: 3/28/2011.

Individual collection assessment (30%). Draft due: 4/4/2011. Final due: 4/27/2011.

Funding request (20%). (1) One-page summary ―pitch‖ (due 5/9/2011) (2) Powerpoint presentation in class (last 2 weeks of semester)

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Project-Based Learning

Students complete well over a dozen intensive projects

Almost all projects involve doing real work with real collections, the results of which will be used by those collections' managers

Most projects involve research, planning, and executing phases

Vast majority of projects are group projects (group-sourcing instead of crowd-sourcing)

All projects involve developing time-lines, division of labor

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Project-Based Learning: Where does the Learning come from?

All projects have a variety of constrains (time, money, or other resources) and students must make trade-offs btwn the ideal and what can be accomplished within the constraints

Most projects have plans that are both reviewed by collection managers and critiqued by instructors

Reviews often happen iteratively throughout the project

Projects, methods, challenges are formally presented to fellow students (so students learn from each others' projects)

Much of learning in group projects comes from peers (Wisdom of the group--group-sourcing instead of crowd-

sourcing)

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Collection Assessment class

projects Laurie Anderson

Sonic Youth Video

The Kitchen

John F Kennedy (Gartenberg Media)

Hemispheric Institute

Cabinet Magazine Digital Content Archive

AMNH Video Collection

Robert Haller Collection (Anthology)

New Museum of Contemporary Art

Filmmakers Coop

16mm Films at Brooklyn Public Library

John Watts Papers (Fales Library)

Flaherty Film Seminar

Richard Foreman Papers (Fales Library)

Hadassah Collection

Eyebeam

Frank Kuenstler Films (Anthology)

Art21 Archive

World Music Institute Audio/Video Archive

Teo Masero Collection (NYPL-Rodgers/Hammerstein)

Third World Newsreel

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Acid Detection results/autocatalytic point readings

University Archives Collections

Total # of items

0 – 1.0 % of 0 – 1.0 1.5 – 3.0 % of 1.5 – 3.0

University Archives

(in total)

400 325 81% 75 19%

Audio Visual 107 82 77% 25 23%

Brademas Papers 75 75 100% 0 0%

Classics Dept. Tapes 101 100 99% 1 1%

Dept. of Athletics 14 4 29% 10 71%

External Affairs 2 2 100% 0 0%

Abby Weed Grey 37 37 100% 0 0%

Alice V. Keliher 10 10 100% 0 0%

Miscellaneous Films 45 6 13% 39 87%

Annette Weiner 9 9 100% 0 0% Besser-AMIA 2011

Preservation Plan for a small Video Archive (L.A.V.A. by Paula Felix-Didier, 2004)

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L.A.V.A.--Phase 1

Risk assessment and prioritization scheme.

Improve environmental conditions:

Cataloging: consider IMAP template.

Start a new access number system.

Remove cardboard slipcovers.

Move the Masters tapes from besides the air conditioner and the window.

Separate working space from the collection shelves

Try not to eat or drink near the tapes.

Sample tape inspection and rewinding schedule.

Dub Betacam masters.

Stock on VCRs and VHS tapes.

New items: keep track of provenance. /. have a tape and documentation inspection routine

Make sure all tapes can be played back

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L.A.V.A.--Phase 2

Long-range preservation plan.

Natural disaster plan.

Insurance.

Climate controlled storage.

Regular tape inspection schedule.

Plan on start collecting DVDs and migrating the most valuable VHS to DVD or other digital format.

Digitizing plan for their Betacam Masters.

Start collecting digital masters.

Paper-based documentation preservation plan.

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Natalia Fidelholtz 2005?

The Jerry Jofen Collection

At Anthology Film Archives Besser-AMIA 2011

Natalia Fidelholtz

The Jerry Jofen Collection

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Jerry Jofen Collection:

Priorities • Cataloging, General: A full inventory of all film and audio elements should

be created.

• Intellectual Property Rights: Anthology should draft letter of agreement, and have it signed by Ellen Jofen.

• Micro environment, Film: All elements should be housed in archival containers as soon as possible.

• Micro environment, Audio: Audio elements should be stored separately in acid-free individual archival boxes.

• Film element preparation: Leader, labeling, wind and inspection.

• Further Film element recommendations:

– Cleaning

– Compiling

– Processing

– Creating Internegatives/Negatives

• Audio element preparation: Identify and remaster any unstable or deteriorating elements to new stock ¼” reel-to-reel, and/or BWF digital file stored on server or hard-drive.

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Jerry Jofen Collection:

Workplan • PHASE 1

The steps to improve the storage, housing and intellectual control of the collection are:

- 1. Inspection/Rehousing & Labeling/Inventorying & Identification

- 2. Drafting letter of agreement

- 3. Cleaning moldy elements

• PHASE 2

The steps to be taken towards a long-term preservation plan and an access policy are:

- 4. Re-format high-risk items (particularly mag strip films, and audio elements in danger)

- 5. Processing exposed film and slides

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Jerry Jofen Collection:

Workplan

TASK WHO WHEN TIME

Order supplies for rehousing, inventorying and

reshelving

Archivist Month 1 3-4 weeks

Clean storage space Intern Month 1 2 weeks

Monitor temperature and relative humidity Archivist Month 1-6 On-going task

Train intern/volunteer Archivist Month 1 2 weeks

Inventorying Archivist/Intern Month 2-3 6 weeks

Film/Tape inspection and cleaning Archivist/Intern Month 2-3 6 weeks

Re-Housing, Labeling, Shelving Archivist/Intern Month 2-3 6 weeks

Send out moldy elements to be cleaned Archivist Month 3 4 weeks

Research Jerry Jofen�s productions Intern Month 2-6 On-going task

Identify items in need of laboratory work Archivist/Intern Month 4 2 weeks

Send out to laboratory Archivist Month 4-6 10 weeks

Quality Control Archivist Month 4-6 8 weeks

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Jerry Jofen Collection:

Budget

NEH

Funds Cost Sharing Total

Salaries and

Wages

Archivist X30% x12mo. @

$30,000 $9,000 $9,000

Intern X30% x12mo. @ $10/hr $6,240 $6,240

Fringe

Benefits

34% of $30,000 $10,000 $10,000

34% of $6,240 $2,121.60 $2,121.60

Item Quantity Unit price/ pack Total

Ser vices

COLORLAB

Labwork for f ilm (B/W

Negat ive) TBD $.15/ft TBD

COLORLAB

Labwork for f ilm (Co lor

Negat ive) TBD $.13/ft TBD

COLORLAB

Release pr ints from

interme diates (Co lor & B/W

pos it ives) TBD $.32/ft TBD

BAVAC Labwork for aud io TBD

1/4" aud io to

wave file

(96k / 24b) :

$165 per hour

of recorded

tape (In cludes

a M itsu i Go ld

CD copy). TBD

Supplies

and

Materials

Item Quantity Unit price/ pack Total

Raw 16mm negative stock TBD $150/400ft. TBD

Gloves 4 $2.50/pa ir $10.00

Arch iva l Marker 10 $2.75 per unit $27.50

Acid- free labels 1

$47.60 / 42 0

labe ls $47.60

The total budget cannot be estimated, as it can only be determined once the number of items requiring

re-housing and in need of preservation laboratory work is determined

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Teaching Policy & Constraints: Examples from Occupy Wall Street

Large group of MIAP students joined OWS Archives Committee, concerned mainly w/archiving audio and video

Pre-existing Archives Committee had only 2 foci: oral histories and preserving original signs-

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Archive Committee

Occupy Wall Street

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Archive Committee

Occupy Wall Street

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Archive Committee

Occupy Wall Street

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Teaching Policy: Examples from Occupy Wall Street

It was the MIAP students who raised the various issues:

Donor agreements/letters of conveyance

Releases for recordings

Rights issues

Best practices for gathering metadata

Then after the original committee started working on these, the MIAP students had to gently criticize the results as being unimplementable (extremely long release forms) Besser-AMIA 2011 30

Project Planning Example from 2011 World Audiovisual Heritage Day

Serious planning began one year in advance

Work was student-initiated by 10 students, and 11 months in advance they presented their lengthy plan and timeline to parent department to secure support and right to use dept's name

Here's their initial plan, budget, timeline-

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Project Mgmt planning:

World A/V Heritage Day

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Project Mgmt planning:

World A/V Heritage Day

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Project Mgmt planning:

World A/V Heritage Day

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Project Mgmt planning:

World A/V Heritage Day

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Project Mgmt planning:

World A/V Heritage Day

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Project Mgmt planning:

World A/V Heritage Day

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Project Mgmt planning:

World A/V Heritage Day

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Project Mgmt planning implementation:

World A/V Heritage Day

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Project Mgmt planning-securing permissions:

World A/V Heritage Day

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Project Mgmt planning implementation—contacting partners:

World A/V Heritage Day

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Project Mgmt planning:

World A/V Heritage Day

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Project Mgmt planning gets more concrete:

World A/V Heritage Day

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Project Mgmt planning:

World A/V Heritage Day Logo

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Project Mgmt planning:

World A/V Heritage Day

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Project Mgmt planning:

World A/V Heritage Day

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Project Mgmt planning:

World A/V Heritage Day

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Project Mgmt planning:

World A/V Heritage Day PR

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Project Mgmt planning guest list:

World A/V Heritage Day

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World A/V Heritage Day Program

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World A/V Heritage Day

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Screening Ten Years of Gay Cable Network Coverage of the AIDS Pandemic (1982-1992) from Fales Library:

World A/V Heritage Day

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Screening The Unanswered Question (1967) from NYPL:

World A/V Heritage Day

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Screening from German Expedition to Tibet, Tibet Film Archive (1939):

World A/V Heritage Day

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Screening from Lowell Thomas Tibet Lecture, Tibet Film Archive (1949):

World A/V Heritage Day

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Screening Icing on the Cake from StoryCorps:

World A/V Heritage Day

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Screening Ms Devine from StoryCorps:

World A/V Heritage Day

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World A/V Heritage Day

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World A/V Heritage Day

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World A/V Heritage Day

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World A/V Heritage Day

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World A/V Heritage Day

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World A/V Heritage Day

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World A/V Heritage Day

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World A/V Heritage Day

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Approaches to teaching Policy, Project Management, & Leadership Skills

Howard Besser NYU Moving Image Archiving & Preservation

http://www.nyu.edu/tisch/preservation/ http://besser.tsoa.nyu.edu/howard/Talks/

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Final Projects (2/3)

Rebuilding Cambodia’s AudioVisual History

Organization of print files on Kenneth Anger and Jonas Mekas at Anthology Film Archives; analysis of archival organization and arrangement at Anthology and another institution

Case study, physical examination and subsequent reports on "Film", Samuel Beckett's only film project in conjunction with Filmmaker's Cooperative

History of "orphan films" preservation funding, and implications for public access to the films given changing notions of intellectual property and copyright

History and development of the 2" quadruplex format and subsequent archiving problems, and a videography of 2" programs,1956-1959

Creation of an exhibition design investigating issues of authenticity in the work "Peggy and Fred in Hill" by video artist Leslie Thorton

Exploration, through a series of interviews, of the technological and lexical aspects of MLB (Major League Baseball) Advanced Media games

Academic review of literature on copyright in relation to media and the arts

Biographical/filmographic research and identification and condition assessment of the Al Robbins Collection at Anthology Film Archives

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Final Projects (3/3)

Cataloging and assessment of video interview materials within the Abraham Lincoln Brigade collection in the Tamiment Library of the Elmer Holmes Bobst Library

Examination of the technical, ethical and archival arguments surrounding film colorization

Research and creation of a finding aid for US government films produced before and during the New Deal

Creation of a treatment and fundraising plan for an unidentified 16mm film shot at the 1936 Summer Olympics that is part of the NYU University Archives,

Assessment and preservation plan for audio and video materials in the Institute for Afro-American Affairs Collection, University Archives, Elmer Holmes Bobst Library

Preparation of a film exhibition of contemporary Chinese independent documentaries and an analysis of the state of independent production, archiving and preservation in China

Creation of an accurate filmography of the work of Joseph W. Sarno, a key figure in sex-exploitation film production in New York City in the 1960s and 1970s

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Where do our students go to

work? (1/2)

• Appalshop, Archivist

• American Museum of Natural History, Post-Graduate Fellow

• Audiovisual Solutions, Consultant

• CNN News Archive, Archivist

• Canyon Cinema, Archivist

• Democracy Now!, Archivist,

• Electronic Arts Intermix (NY), Media Collection Manager

• Museo del Cine, Buenos Aires, Director

• Museum of the Moving Image, Registrar

• National Information Infrastructure Program (Preservation of Digital Public Television) Research Scholar

• New York City Transit Museum, Archivist

• NYPL – Library of Performing Arts, Wilson Project, Audio-Visual Archivist

• NYPL Dance Division, Archivist

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Where do our students go to

work? (2/2)

• NYU - Bobst Library, Mellon-Funded Moving Image Preservation Fellow

• NorthEast Historic Film, Technical Services Director

• ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archive, Archivist

• Pacific Film Archives, Archivist

• PBS, Project Archivist & Preservationist

• Premier Retail Networks, Archivist

• Rhode Island Historical Society, Film Archivist

• Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Research Fellow

• Standby Program, Preservation Coordinator

• Todo Mundo (David Byrne Archive), Audiovisual Archivist

• Towers Productions, Inc., Chicago, IL, Chief Creative Officer

• Ugen Media, Business Development

• US Tennis Association, Archivist

• Washington University Libraries, Post-Graduate Fellow

• Witness Media Archives, Archives Department

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Pamela Smith Thesis Project:

Videofreex--early 1970s experimental

community broadcast television

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Videofreex (Pamela Smith)

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Videofreex (Pamela Smith)