June 22, 2009

Do you Facebook?

On AMIA's Facebook page, you can post links, photos or videos and check out what others have posted!

June 19, 2009

AMIA/Rockefeller Archive Center Visiting Archivist Fellowship

The deadline for the AMIA/Rockefeller Archive Center Visiting Archivist Fellowship has been extended to June 30, 2009!
 
The Rockefeller Archive Center, in cooperation with the Association of Moving Image Archivists, has established The AMIA/Rockefeller Visiting Archivist Fellowship - a unique opportunity to encourage professional exchange and enhance professional development. Designed to provide both financial assistance and first-hand experience, the AMIA/Rockefeller Visiting Archivist Fellowship is awarded each year to a professional archivist from the developing world interested in improving their skills and knowledge through a program at the Rockefeller Archive Center and attendance at the AMIA Annual Conference.

The Visiting Archivist receives a $2,500 stipend to cover the cost of housing, food and local transportation, reasonable round-trip travel expenses from his/her place of residence to New York and to/from the AMIA Conference, up to $3,500, and complementary registration to the 2009 AMIA Annual Conference.
 

June 16, 2009

Got Images?

Refreshing!

As you know, part of our recent website redesign was a chance to showcase the incredible diversity of our membership - from regional or thematic collections, to moving image labs to industry production houses all around the world. 
 
To keep the site fresh and engaging, what we're  looking for is a wide array of still images/screen grabs from our member's collections to use to highlight what AMIA is all about, whether you're using the website as a member or as someone who isn't familiar with who we are and why we do what we do.  It's a great chance to show off some favorites from your collection.
 
Anything visually fun or engaging -- and, of course, cleared or in the public domain  -- from your collections is needed and much welcomed.  Images should be 72dpi and a minimum of 1024 pixels.  Please send images to us at amia@amianet.org by July 10, 2009.  If you want to send a hard copy, we'll be happy to scan it.  
 
Any questions?  Please email Laura in the AMIA Office at lrooney@amianet.org.
 
 
Thank you,
AMIA Website Committee

Search for a Logo for the World Day for AV Heritage

October 27 has been declared by UNESCO as World Day for AV Heritage.

 

The audiovisual heritage comprises all forms of moving images and recorded sounds, separately or together, whether or not intended for public distribution, and regardless of the means of creation, preservation or delivery, or the personal or organizational nature of the custodian.  It further includes associated information, documents, objects, artefacts and technology, and graphical material selected in its own right.   They express a nation as a place and people.  Considered to be the documents most characteristic of the 20th and 21st centuries, the cultural influence and informational content of these documents are immense, and rapidly increasing. Transcending language and cultural boundaries, appealing immediately to the eye and the ear, to the literate and illiterate alike, they have transformed society by becoming a permanent complement to the traditional written record. Their content cannot be reduced to written form, and its integrity is closely tied to the format of its carrier – be it film, magnetic or optical media.  Because of its fragility, much have been lost and continue to be lost if no action is undertaken .

 

In 2005, the UNESCO General Assembly approved October 27 as the World Day for AV Heritage to raise awareness of the importance of AV documents as integral part of national identities and draw attention to the urgent need to protect them.

 

Since then the World observes this day every year by organizing activities around a theme agreed upon by the Coordinating Council of Audio-visual Archive Associations (CCAAA) - the UNESCO designated body to oversee its yearly celebration. For this year, the theme will be "Fading Heritage: We Can Save It." 

 

For greater impact, both UNESCO and the CCAAA have recognized the need to come up with a logo to give the celebration its own identifiable brand.

 

 

Logo Parameters

 

Content

 

The logo should symbolize and represent the global audiovisual heritage and its permanent cultural value in the fullest sense. It may also suggest its fragility and vulnerability, the sense of urgency attached to its preservation and the importance of accessibility.

 

Design

 

            The logo should be:

 

·         Simple – the simpler the better

·         Monochrome

·         A graphical design which works:

-   independently of language (the logo itself must not contain any letters or text)

-   independent of time

-   in different cultural settings

-   in all anticipated usage environments (e.g. internet sites, e-mailings, hard copy, projected  image)

-   in different sizes, from miniscule to enlarged applications

         when reproduced through simple technical means (e.g. low resolution black and white photocopy)

·         Suitable for systematic use (as a secondary logo) together with the UNESCO emblem

or accompanied by the words “UNESCO World Day for Audiovisual Heritage”, or equivalent in other languages.(for requirements for secondary logos, go to http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=28318&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html.

 

 

Entries will be selected on the following criteria:

 

·         Ability to impart the message or the meaning of the symbols

·         Attractiveness, recognizability and memorability for audiences in the archival, library, museum and documentation profession; and the mass media and the general public potentially.

·         Distinctiveness from other popular logos of institutions and corporations using similar stylized AV imagery of film strips, video screens, phonographs, projectors, sound waves, digital pixels, reel, discs, etc.

 

 

Submission of Entries

 

            Entries should consist of the following:

 

            a) Original Artwork (softcopy)

 

-        preferred format: JPG

-        resolution: minimum 300 dpi

-        width: minimum 800 pixels

 

            b) Thumbnail version

 

-        format: JPG

-        resolution: 96 dpi

-        width: 300 pixels

 

c)      Summary description or explanation of the logo symbolism

 

                        A brief write-up on the logo designer will be expected as well.

 

 

            Deadline for Submission: No later than 15 August 2009

            Submit entries and requests for information to:

 

                                          Ms. Joie Springer
                                          Senior Programme Specialist
                                          Information Society Division
                                          UNESCO
                                          1, rue Miollis
                                          75732 Paris Cedex 15
                                          email:
j.springer@unesco.org

 

Specific questions concerning the graphic charter of UNESCO should be sent to:

 

Philipp Müller-Wirth
Chief, Promotion, Partnerships and Branding Unit
Bureau of Public Information
UNESCO
e-mail: p.muller-wirth@unesco.org

 

Recognition

 

The winning entry will be announced and presented on October 27, 2009 at the CCAAA                               and UNESCO websites, together with an explanation of the symbolism inherent in the design. The winner will receive from UNESCO a monetary reward of US2000 and will be featured in the website as well.

June 11, 2009

Call for Nominations: Board Election

Elections Committee

The Association of Moving Image Archivists is seeking candidates for the 2009 election of four positions on the AMIA Board of Directors. The positions are:

1. President of AMIA and Director of the Board.

2. Director of the Board

3. Director of the Board

4. Director of the Board

Subject to the control of the Executive Board, the President shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation and shall have the general supervision, direction and control over the affairs and property of the Corporation and over its several officers, and prepare a report on the state of the Corporation for presentation at the annual meeting of members and/or for publication in the Corporation's newsletter, and shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be delegated by the Executive Board from time to time.  The President, where appropriate, will represent the Corporation to the public and other organizations or ensure that such representation occurs.

The Board of Directors assists in conducting the activities and affairs of the Association. All powers of AMIA are the responsibility of and exercised under the direction of the Board. The Board prescribes powers and duties for officers of the Association, and makes rules and regulations for the conduct of the affairs of the Association. Directors of the Board assist in coordinating the activities of the Committees of the Board, and shall have other powers or duties as may be delegated by the Board. Each nominee must be an individual member of the Association. Each term is for two years.

All AMIA members are encouraged to submit recommendations of candidates to the Elections Committee. While the Committee is responsible for determining the final nominations, recommendations from the membership are vital in helping the Committee assemble the strongest possible slate of candidates.

 

For information about the duties of the Board, you can find the Guide to the AMIA Board of Directors at http://www.amianet.org/resources/AMIAManuals/Board_guide.pdf

Recommendations must be received by June 24, 2009. Please submit names to the Elections Committee c/o AMIA, 1313 North Vine Street, Hollywood, CA 90028; (Fax) 323-463-1506; or e-mail dick.fauss@wvculture.org

May 20, 2009

National Film Preservation Foundation 2009 Summer Grants.


The National Film Preservation Foundation is inviting proposals for the 2009 Summer Grants. These grants provide cash and/or in-kind laboratory services for film preservation. The registration deadline is next Tuesday,May 26, and proposals are due July 10, 2009. The application guidelines are posted on the NFPF website at www.filmpreservation.org/grants/summer.html ( http://www.filmpreservation.org/grants/partnership.html ). (Or go to www.filmpreservation.org ( http://www.filmpreservation.org/ ), click the "Grants" button at the bottom of the page and proceed from there.)
You may register by e-mailing the NFPF at grants@filmpreservation.org with regard to your archive's interest in applying. Please provide your name, institution, phone number, fax number, mailing address, and e-mail address.
These awards target the preservation of films that (1) were made in the United States or by Americans abroad, and (2) are not preserved by commercial interests. Nonprofit and public archives, including those in the federal, state, and local government, may participate. Awards will be announced in September 2009.

May 08, 2009

Save the Date: The Reel Thing - August 21-22, 2009

SAVE THE DATE!

A special edition of The Reel Thing technical symposium will be held in Los Angeles on August 21-22, 2009 at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood, CA.

More details about the program, screenings, and registration will be announced soon.

www.the-reel-thing.org

April 16, 2009

Call for Nominations: The 2009 AMIA Awards

Do you wish there was a nice way to honor your outstanding and dedicated co-workers in front of their peers?
 
Do you wish your favorite AMIA mentor or volunteer got the recognition he or she deserves in this organization?
 
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to attend the annual AMIA conference without having to go into debt to pay for it?
 
Surprise! These are not just pipe dreams.  The AMIA Awards Committee takes this opportunity to send out the annual call for award nominations and applications.
 
This year, in addition to the usual suspects,  we are pleased to announce a new award, given in the name of our dear friend Bill O'Farrell. 
 
The William S. O'Farrell Volunteer Award
In memory of longtime AMIA member Bill O'Farrell, the Association of Moving Image Archivists has established the William S. O'Farrell Volunteer Award. The purpose of this award is to recognize the
importance of volunteers to our organization.  Nominees for the William S. O'Farrell must have made a significant contribution to AMIA, either in the form of notable achievement or special projects,
mentoring, or through the noteworthy performance of volunteer work carried out over a long period of time. The application will be available shortly.
 
Maryanne Gomes Award
In memory of regional archivist Maryann Gomes, the Association of Moving Image Archivists has established the Maryann Gomes Award. The purpose of this award is to provide funding assistance for regional archivists to attend the Annual AMIA Conference.   The award provides up to $1,000.00 U.S. to assist with AMIA conference-related travel expenses. In addition, a complimentary conference registration, a one-year Individual AMIA membership, and one pre-conference workshop registration will be included (total approximate value $1,500.00 U.S.)
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Ao7HTzB_2b_2fhMNlXKLmNwVpA_3d_3d
 

The Dan and Kathy Leab Award
The Dan and Kathy Leab Award was established to acknowledge the contribution of working archivists who seldom have the opportunity of being recognized outside their institutions. The Leab Award is
presented annually to one individual chosen by the AMIA Board of Directors with advice and consultation from the association's Awards Committee Each year's Leab Award recipient receives a certificate of appreciation from AMIA, a cash prize of $1,000, and recognition in the AMIA Newsletter and during the AMIA Conference.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=VARkhuSpD07WFeDHb3TZAA_3d_3d
 

The Silver Light Award
The Silver Light Award recognizes outstanding career achievement in moving image archiving. Measures of achievement may include substantial contributions to the field over an extended period,
leadership in the field, work in professional societies or other professional activities, writings or publications, preservation and restoration projects, innovations that advance the cause of preservation, and patronage donated to archives or archival projects.  Individuals, institutions, and organizations are eligible for this award and need not be AMIA members. The award may be given
posthumously.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=i3Zkr9WFe4BXSumwB8D1vg_3d_3d
 

For details on the awards and for links to online applications, please follow this link:
http://www.amianet.org/events/awards_noms.php

 
Many thanks for taking the time to think about the people who make our field an interesting and dynamic place.
 
--
~Liz Coffey, Awards Committee Chair

April 14, 2009

Time to save money!


Hello everyone! The Nitrate Film Interest Group would like to extend to all AMIA members an amazing offer in an effort to help reduce costs in these hard times.
Several months ago the Nitrate Film Interest Group assisted most of the institutions who ship nitrate film by establishing what was essentially a group discount for the required emergency response telephone number through the company ChemTel. They have offered us the amazing rate of $70 annually per company. This is a huge discount when it is compared to the $200 to $500 range that is charged for most individual registrations at companies who provide this service. The agreement with ChemTel was established so that all of the companies who wish to partake register when necessary which is helpful since most companies will need to renew at different times of the year. Also, each institution can have20up to 5 MSDS sheets and are completely independent of one another so there is no hassle of repaying a company who acts as an umbrella for all of the institutions.
Thus far the offer and the registrations have gone extremely well so as a service from the NFIG, we would like to offer this amazing deal to everyone in AMIA regardless of if you ship nitrate or not. I am not aware if there is a need for this emergency response telephone number for any chemicals that labs or archives use but there is always a possibility so I am sending this out to the listserve in case I missed a nitrate shipper or random lab who is required to have such a number.
For those who may not be aware, here is the basic information about the emergency response telephone numbers: The Department of Transportation*s HazMat division requires a 24 hour emergency response telephone number for when you ship nitrate film or any hazardous materials.
According to DoT*s website the: *person monitors at all times during transportation - Is knowledgeable of the hazardous materials listed - Has comprehensive emergency response and incident mitigation information for that material; or
- Has immediate access to a person who possesses such knowledge - Accepts responsibility*

This means that while it is not illegal for you to be your own emergency response phone number, you must always be prepared to accept the phone call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week while you are shipping hazardous material. And you must know the MSDS sheet perfectly or always have one on hand. Note that if you are paying another company to pack and ship for you such as PackAir then this phone number is not required for those shipments

If there is anyone who is interested in also joining in on this deal then I need you to call or email me so that I can pass along your information to my contact at ChemTel. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Rachel Parker Film Archivist Academy Film Archive 1313 N. Vine St Hollywood, CA 90028 rparker@oscars.org 310-247-3016 x320

Do you Twitter?

Now you can follow AMIA on Twitter at http://twitter.com/amianet!

The AMIA Directory is going online!

The AMIA Directory is going online!

Beginning in mid-June, the AMIA Membership Directory will be published electronically. With the electronic edition, we'll be able to publish the Directory three times per year - so it is always up to date - and to provide the information alphabetically by name, by institution and by location. And for our advertisers going electronic adds a variety of new possibilities.

Of course, it's also environmentally friendly (saving almost 1,000 pounds of paper per year) and as printing and mailing costs continue to go up, the savings gained by going electronic can be used for other AMIA projects and programs.

The Directory will still be available only to AMIA members, password protected through the Member Central area of the website. You'll still be able to print out a copy of the Directory if you want to keep it on your desk or at home - or both, And if you're not at your desk and need to look up a name or number, it will be available anywhere you have online access.

Eco-friendly, up to date and easy to download --
E-njoy.

April 09, 2009

Are You LinkedIn?

Join the Association of Moving Image Archivists Group on LinkedIn!

AMIA Scholarship, Fellowship and Internship Deadlines Approaching


The Association of Moving Image Archivists is accepting applications for its 2009 Scholarship, Fellowship and Internship Program.

Five scholarships will be awarded: the CFI Sid Solow Scholarship, the Mary Pickford Scholarship, the Sony Pictures Scholarship, the Universal Studios Preservation Scholarship, and The Rick Chace Foundation Scholarship. In addition, the Kodak Fellowship in Film Preservation ( http://www.amianet.org/events/kodak.php ), the IPI Internship in Preservation Research ( http://www.amianet.org/events/ipi.php ) and the Rockefeller Visiting Archivist Fellowship ( http://www.amianet.org/events/rockefeller.php ) will be awarded this year.

For further information, deadlines and applications, please visit the AMIA web page at www.amianet.org/events/scholarship.php.

April 07, 2009

Reminder: Call For Proposals

The Conference Committee invites submissions for session and workshop proposals for the 2009 AMIA Conference in St. Louis, MO

The Conference Committee encourages submission of proposals whose topics may include, but are not limited to, the administration and finance of archives, and access to collections

Each proposal goes through a Peer Review, and incomplete session proposals that include only some of the speakers or that are missing information about the topics to be covered make it difficult for the panel to assess when compared to complete proposals.

Go to www. AMIAConference.com